Water closure lifted after hammerhead shark circles off Newport Pier

Newport Beach lifeguards lifted the closure of a stretch of coastline Monday afternoon, hours after an 8-foot hammerhead shark was seen off the Newport Pier.

A beachgoer called 911 around 10:45 a.m. to report the shark, according to lifeguard Battalion Chief Mike Halphide, who said officials were originally skeptical of the report because of the time of year.

But lifeguards decided to close the water to swimming and surfing after seeing the shark for themselves, circling near the end of the pier, Halphide said.

Though the hammerhead didn’t appear to be acting aggressively, the water was shut down between 10th Street and 44th Street as a precaution, Halphide said. The closure was lifted about 4:30 p.m.

Crews installed signs cautioning beachgoers of the sighting, said Fire Department spokeswoman Jennifer Manzella. The advisory will be in effect through Tuesday morning and subject to reassessment at that time, she said.

Manzella said no additional sharks were seen after the closure.

Lifeguard Capt. John Moore said the hammerhead was swimming in an area that fishermen frequent. It likely was looking for bait or other food, he said.

Marine experts say unusually warm water in the eastern Pacific Ocean, caused by the El Niño phenomenon, has attracted increased numbers of hammerheads and other sharks, including great whites, to the Southern California coast as their food sources have migrated from more tropical areas.