Del Mar beaches reopen after shark attack over weekend

Above: A June 3 report by Zara Barker for FOX 5 on the frequency of shark attacks in Del Mar.

SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — Beaches in Del Mar reopened Tuesday following a shark attack over the weekend.

The water at Del Mar beaches has reopened to swimmers and surfers after a swimmer was bitten by a shark about 100 yards – or about 300 feet – offshore from the Beach Safety Center on 17th Street on Sunday morning.

The closure of 6th Street to North Beach in Del Mar was imposed as part of a mandatory 48-hour closure following a shark attack and is based on guidelines from the California Marine Safety Chiefs Association and the Shark Lab at California State University Long Beach.

The attack occurred just before 9am on Sunday and left a 46-year-old man seriously injured. The man was reportedly part of a group of about a dozen sea swimmers who regularly meet in the area for training.

Although his injuries are not considered life-threatening, he was bitten on the upper body, left arm and hand and remains in the hospital.

FOX 5/KUSI spoke with members of the North County Ocean Swimmers team after visiting him in the hospital on Monday and they described the incident and his rescue from the water.

A field technician with the SharkLab at CSULB told FOX 5/KUSI on Monday that sharks are in the area every day. He said they have tagged about 60 sharks in the Del Mar area since 2020, noting that this area of ​​the ocean is a breeding ground for juvenile great white sharks.

Although sharks frequently visit the area, shark attacks are less common in the Del Mar area. The last shark attack in the Del Mar area occurred in 2022, while the last fatal attack in this area occurred in 2008.

This latest shark attack came just a week after a shark knocked a surfer off his board in San Clemente over Memorial Day weekend.

Lifeguards warn that you should never swim alone in the ocean and only swim in supervised areas. They also urge beachgoers to pay attention to signs posted on beaches as they provide information about current hazards and regulations. For more important information, see “What to Know When Going to the Beach in San Diego.”

Del Mar lifeguards are on duty daily from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.