A juvenile thresher shark washed up onto shore in Newport Beach Friday.
The incident occurred around 1 p.m. north of the Balboa Pier and was captured on video, which showed the shark thrashing on the sand as a large number of beachgoers gathered to watch.
The shark then made its way back to the water, but was pulled out by lifeguards and an animal control officer, video shows.
Animal control officials found that the shark was injured — possibly after being hit by a propeller — and that it was dying, so they humanely euthanized it, according to Newport Beach Police.
Chris Lowe, director of the Shark Lab at California State University Long Beach, said it’s common to see many types of sharks populating Southern California waters this time of year.
“We have a lot of things growing [in the water]. There’s a lot of plankton, so there’s a lot of food. So this is the time of year when a lot of species, not just sharks, are using Southern California beaches,” he said.
Lowe said it’s important to remember humans are sharing the ocean.
