SANTA CRUZ – Calif. – A stranded great white shark caused a stir along the California shore on Friday.
Dozens of people gathered on the cliffs of Pleasure Point in Santa Cruz to watch the 8-foot shark trapped in the shallow reef. Video from CNN affiliate KSBW captured the then-still-alive shark rolling in the incoming tide — bruised and bloodied.
Authorities were notified in the afternoon by someone walking on the beach that people were taking pictures of the shark. A sheriff’s patrol unit used loudspeakers to tell gawkers to stay clear of the distressed fish.
Even though the great white is one of the ocean’s biggest predators, its survival seemed unlikely, but careful rescue attempts were made by the Pelagic Shark Research Foundation.
Scientists don’t know whether the animal stranded itself or was sick. It died later in the day and body was later recovered and taken for an examination.
