Popular Californian tourist beach on shark watch

A 200-yard stretch of Newport and Huntington Beach was shut down Thursday afternoon after a shark sighting, according to officials.

Last month, a 2-mile section of Huntington Beach closed after a 5- to 8-foot shark bumped the underside of a surfer’s board.

Part of Newport Beach will remain closed until midday Friday, according to Newport Beach lifeguards.

Red flags have been placed along the shoreline.

A shark sighting off California’s Orange County coast Thursday led to the temporary closure of popular beaches in Newport and Huntington. An off-duty lifeguard was surfing at the time and witnessed the aggressive behavior, said Herman.

However, an advisory remains in effect until about 3:30 p.m. warning swimmers to be cautious, a state beach representative said.

More than a dozen juvenile great sharks have taken up residency in the Surfside area sharply increasing the number of shark sightings and reportedly impacting the local surf school industry.