A shark was captured on camera cruising alarmingly close to surfers at a popular Los Angeles beach, with its dorsal fin slicing through shallow water just feet from shore. The encounter unfolded at El Porto Beach in Manhattan Beach, as reported by The New York Post.

Social media influencer Josh Hublitz posted the unnerving footage Friday. His video shows the shark moving through the surf while surfers remain nearby, creating a tense scene in water that appeared remarkably shallow.

“Surfing with sharks in Los Angeles… I’ve actually never seen a shark in El Porto before. This is the first,” Hublitz said on Instagram. The sighting clearly caught him by surprise at a beach where he said he had never previously encountered a shark.

Hublitz emphasized just how close the creature had ventured toward shore. “Ankle-deep water. That is super sketch,” he added, offering a blunt assessment that matched the unsettling images.

The video shows the shark’s dorsal fin repeatedly breaking the surface as the animal glides through the water. Its path brings it close to shore and within striking visual distance of people surfing in the area.

 

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One Instagram user suggested the shark might have been a harmless “baby thresher.” That user noted that the species hunts baitfish close to shore, which could offer an explanation for the animal’s presence in such shallow water.

That identification remains unconfirmed, however. The available footage captured the fin and the shark’s movement through the surf, but the species was not officially established in the source account.

The El Porto encounter follows several shark sightings reported along the Southern California coastline in recent months. Those reports have placed sharks near heavily visited beaches, adding another jolt of unease for surfers and beachgoers.

On Tuesday, the Huntington Beach Fire Department closed a two-mile stretch of beach after receiving a report about an “aggressive” great white shark. The animal was estimated to measure between 10 and 12 feet.

That shark was reportedly circling near Lifeguard Tower 16 on the beach. The department’s decision to shut down the stretch of coastline followed the report, keeping people away from the area while concern remained.

Another great white shark was spotted off La Jolla in late June. That shark was estimated to be 9 feet long, prompting officials to post warning signs even though there were no reports of aggressive behavior.

The recent sightings have coincided with unusually warm ocean temperatures connected to a powerful El Niño pattern. The warmer conditions have also accompanied a wave of unusual marine life encounters off the Southern California coast.

Scientists say warmer waters may be pushing some shark species north from their typical habitats. That movement could be bringing the animals closer to California beaches that regularly draw surfers, swimmers, and other visitors.

Sharks have not been the only unexpected creatures appearing in the region. Two endangered olive ridley sea turtles were discovered nesting on Orange County beaches near Seal Beach and Huntington Beach Pier.

Those nests marked the first documented nests of the species on the West Coast. Their appearance added another remarkable development to the string of unusual wildlife activity reported near Southern California communities.

Other rare visitors have included a hammerhead shark seen off Malibu. Venomous sea snakes have also been spotted along the Southern California coastline as warm waters coincide with these uncommon encounters.

Against that broader backdrop, the El Porto video delivered a particularly vivid reminder of how close some of these animals are coming to shore. A visible fin in ankle deep water was enough to turn an ordinary surf session into a deeply unsettling spectacle.

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