San Diego beach a hot spot for great white shark sightings

If you'd like to observe great white sharks but do not want to board a boat, Torrey Pines State Beach in San Diego is just the spot.

Last November, a state beach in San Diego boasted that great white sharks had gathered beyond its shore and provided spotting tips for visitors.

The announcement put Torrey Pines State Beach on the map as a destination known for juvenile white sharks as well as magnificent trails and sweeping ocean views.

Then winter arrived, some sharks left for warmer water, and the hype ended. But I can attest that there are still plenty of white sharks, perhaps dozens, hanging out at Torrey Pines.

White shark close to shore at Torrey Pines. Photo ©Pete Thomas

I’ve visited the park four times in the past two weeks and saw sharks during each visit. During my most recent visit last Wednesday, I spotted multiple sharks during an hourlong period, including four sharks at once.

Two days earlier, I saw a large juvenile shark, perhaps 9 feet, probing in the sand in green water less than 30 yards from shore.

White shark sporting a Shark Lab research tag off Torrey Pines. Photo: ©Pete Thomas

It could be argued that at present, because trails at Torrey Pines provide a bird’s-eye view, there is no better location for observing white sharks from shore.

The aggregation site spans from Del Mar to about Black’s Beach just south of Torrey Pines. Juvenile white sharks, measuring 5 to 10 feet, utilize the area as a nursery. They feed mostly on rays and other bottom fish.

White shark in bluer offshore water at Torrey Pines. Photo: ©Pete Thomas

Chris Lowe, who runs the Shark Lab at California State University Long Beach, told FTW Outdoors that in recent weeks 27 tagged sharks have remained in this area “day in, day out.”

Not all of the sharks are tagged and some come and go, so it’s difficult to estimate the number of sharks off Del Mar/Torrey Pines. But Lowe said it could be as many as 40.

View from the Guy Fleming Trail at Torrey Pines. Photo: ©Pete Thomas

Juvenile white shark aggregation sites, which can be established anywhere along the coast, are temporary so it’s unclear how long the sharks will remain off Torrey Pines.

Those who wish to observe them should plan their hikes to overlooks during morning hours with the sun at their backs.

Shark Lab tagging crew searching for white sharks. Photo: ©Pete Thomas

Calm, sunny mornings during a high or incoming tide are best, and polarized sunglasses are a must unless conditions are perfect.

There are no guarantees, but if conditions are right and visitors spend enough time looking, they have a solid chance of seeing a shark or two. (I’ve seen them swimming as close as 30 yards from shore.)

Since juvenile white sharks feed on fish instead of the seals and sea lions preferred by much larger adult white sharks, they do not pose a significant threat to swimmers and surfers.

However, last Nov. 4 a woman was bitten by a presumed white shark while swimming 200 yards offshore in Del Mar. She was hospitalized and treated for puncture wounds to her right thigh.

Note: White sharks are protected in California. Anyone caught targeting white sharks while fishing at Torrey Pines State Beach will be cited.