A 9-foot great white shark was spotted off the coast of La Jolla Shores Tuesday evening, the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department announced. The shark was spotted off the coast around 7:15 p.m., and while the shark was not showing aggressive behavior, advisory signs have been posted throughout the b each out of an abundance of caution, said Candace Hadley with the SDFD. Image showing shar advisory signs posted in La Jolla Shores Beach. June 24, 2026 The great white shark was spotted outside the surf line, SDFD added. A particularly warm Pacific Ocean will likely mean an increase in great white sharks in Southern California waters this summer, according to one of the region’s leading shark experts. In an interview earlier this year with NBC San Diego, CSU Long Beach Shark Lab director Chris Lowe said researchers saw an increase in baby white shark births in February, which typically occur in April. He attributes the rise to a marine heat wave that began in December and has shown little relief. Juvenile great white sharks are typically between 6 and 10 feet long. Adult sharks can grow to be 20 feet and live more than 70 years, according to the CSULB Shark Lab. Lowe added that beachgoers should not be overly concerned, noting that sharks are in the water all the time and are often unseen. He said sharks generally ignore people. Lifeguards continue to patrol the area and ask beachgoers to remain aware of their surroundings and report any marine life concerns. This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser. ...read more read less