An eight-foot hammerhead shark was spotted near the Malibu Pier around 2:45 p.m. on Tuesday afternoon, according to Los Angeles County Fire Department, Lifeguard Division Captain Kenichi Haskett.
“A fisherman was fishing and hooked an approximately eight-foot hammerhead shark,” Haskett told The Malibu Times. The shark broke free and the fisherman was unable to reel it in.
The fisherman warned lifeguards about the shark, who went out to inspect the waters and ended up hooking the shark for a second time. The shark broke free again, and has not been seen since the second time it was hooked.
There were no active beach closures because “the shark didn’t pose any threat to anyone,” according to Haskett. Lifeguards warned swimmers, surfers, kayakers and standup paddleboarders in the area.
“Most kayakers exited the water,” Haskett said, although some surfers remained in the water.