A juvenile great white shark was captured on video leaping out of the water near a boogie boarder at Newport Beach, California, on Saturday. The incident occurred close to Lifeguard Tower 40.
Soaren Stevenson, who was filming his brother at the time, noticed the shark erupt from the water in the background of his footage. "Based on how they often jump and land on their sides or backs, I suspect they are jumping to dislodge parasites crawling on their sides and backs, relieving a case of the itchies," Christopher Lowe, a professor of marine biology and director of the Cal State Long Beach Shark Lab, told KTLA. "The only other reason I can think of is that they are jumping for fun."
Great white sharks can live for more than 70 years and typically grow between 14 and 16 feet long, with females generally larger than males. They also tend to increase in girth as they age. Newport Beach is known for its harbor, popular surf spots like the Wedge, and Corona del Mar State Beach.