‘Aggressive’ shark bumps surfer at newly reopened California beach, officials say

A newly reopened beach near San Diego briefly closed again after a surfer’s close encounter Wednesday with a shark, KNSD reports.

A large shark circling a surfer bumped into him, injuring his foot, about 5:45 p.m. on Moonlight Beach in Encinitas, north of San Diego, The San Diego Union-Tribune reported.

“I would call it more of a bump, or an aggressive act,” said Encinitas lifeguard Capt. Larry Giles, according to the publication. “It didn’t bite.”

The surfer told authorities he may have kicked the shark, KNSD reported.

“He did say it was acting semi aggressively,” said Encinitas Fire Department Deputy Chief Robert Ford, according to the station.

The surfer was treated at a hospital for a cut on his foot, The San Diego Union-Tribune reported. Authorities did not identify the type of shark involved.

Lifeguards closed a two-mile stretch of the coastline following the attack, KUSI reported.

Warning signs about the shark sighting, advising people to enter the water at their own risk, have been posted, KSWB reported. The station identified the surfer as a 16-year-old boy.

Moonlight Beach had reopened Monday after being closed for nearly a month during the state’s coronavirus lockdown, KUSI reported. The beach was opened for ”limited activities, including walking, running, swimming and surfing.”

But a memo sent to all California police chiefs by Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office says all beaches are to be closed again starting Friday after people flocked to the coast last weekend, McClatchy News reported.

This story was originally published April 30, 2020 at 7:17 AM with the headline "‘Aggressive’ shark bumps surfer at newly reopened California beach, officials say."