Dramatic photos of a 8-to-10-ft.-long great white shark snapped leaping out of the water at a Santa Monica beach – which is frequented by surf-boarding celebrities – has plenty of Los Angeles surfers shaking in their wetsuits.
"People are taking this seriously," says longtime surfer John Philbin, who appeared in Point Break with the late actor Patrick Swayze and taught Kate Bosworth to ride for Blue Crush. "It's kept more than a few people out of the water this week."
Local surf shop owner Randy Wright captured a series of photos of the shark while kayaking Oct. 3 off Sunset Beach, a surf break where actress Helen Hunt and Mad Men regular John Slattery often hang 10. (Hunt also has just begun work on a surfing film.) The beach is situated amid a string of other L.A. surf spots – extending from Malibu to Venice Beach – where Matthew McConaughey, Cameron Diaz, Adam Sandler, Orlando Blom and Red Hot Chili Pepper Anthony Kiedis often catch waves.
Great white shark sightings in Santa Monica Bay have skyrocketed over the past few months. In late July, a 16-ft. shark was photographed swimming in the waters not far from a break in Malibu where McConaughey surfs.
"I've had people come into my shop after seeing the photos, telling me they're scared and bit nervous," says Wright, a former pro surfer. "But I'll be back out there ... although I'll probably give it a bit of time."
For more information on sharks in the waters off Los Angeles and the effort to tag these animals to better understand their habitat, go to www.sharkresearchcommittee.com.
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