2-Mile Stretch Of SoCal Beach Reopens After Hammerhead Shark Sighting

NEWPORT BEACH (CBS/AP) -- Waters along two miles of Newport Beach have been reopened after hours of closure due to a sighting of a hammerhead shark.

Police Department spokeswoman Jennifer Manzella says people on the Newport Pier spotted the 8-foot-long shark at 11 a.m. Monday and reported it to authorities.

Manzella says the shark did not display aggressive behavior but waters were put off limits for a mile in each direction -- from 10th Street to 40th Street.

The water closure was called off after about five hours.

Sharks are not rare in the waters off Southern California, but hammerheads are, said Ralph Collier, a shark expert, who has been researching sharks in California since 1962. He said he has not heard of this many sightings of hammerheads since the 60's.

"These sharks are everywhere they're moving up here following their food because these warmer water fishes are moving up here," said Collier. He believes there are many more hammerheads out there right now off the Southland coast.

Collier said he expects to hear about more hammerhead sightings as the winter approaches.

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