Another hammerhead shark was spotted in the water off La Jolla, this time on Sept. 12.
Ryan Donigan shot video of a hammerhead that morning as he was kayak fishing a little more than a mile from La Jolla Shores. Lifeguards say that historically, this is something out of the ordinary.
“Hammerheads that close to shore, that’s uncommon; that’s not something we see very often. But there have been a number of them. The warm water has brought them up, and there’s quite a few others offshore,” says San Diego Lifeguard Sgt. Ben Lewis.
Hammerheads are known as pretty peaceful. According to the Florida Museum of Natural History, since 1580, there have only been 17 recorded unprovoked attacks by hammerheads and not one confirmed death. However, lifeguards say if you see one, they want you to report it.
“We always like to be made aware of any shark sightings,” says Lewis. “Species determination is important to evaluate what the hazard might be. Sharks live in all oceans. The ocean is a wild environment, and even here in San Diego, the sharks are everpresent.” Two hammerhead sightings were reported off La Jolla on Aug. 28 and Aug. 30. – KUSI