Increased shark activity warning given after whale washes up on Seaside beach

SEASIDE, CALIF. (KION-TV)- As the days pass by, the dead fin whale is attracting locals, tourists and other unexpected guests.

Kids and adults alike are gathering to see the animal up close, and for kids like Liam Ruskell and Asa, it’s something new.

Read more: Dead fin whale found on Monterey State Beach

“It was cool seeing a whale on the beach,” Ruskell said. Asa echoed Ruskell saying, “It was pretty exciting.”

Because the whale has been on shore the past couple of days, state park officers put up new signs.

These signs warn beachgoers about the possibility of increased shark activity in the ocean near the whale.

This isn’t drawing too much concern from locals, though. A resident of Carmel, John Ruskell, isn’t worried about sharks coming close.

“I think the water’s so shallow that a shark is not gonna try that,” Ruskell said. “Unless we get an extreme high tide and everyone knows we have sharks around here anyway as evidenced by the recent attack at Lovers Point.”

Local Wildlife Photographer Bob Western doesn’t see a problem either.

“I’m not too worried about it,” Western said. “The waters are cold, the air is kind of cold. Since I’ve been walking a long distance, it feels warm, but there aren’t that many people in the water, so I don’t think it’s gonna pose a big a deal.”

For those who like going in the water, like Ross Davison, they’ll be talking with researchers.

“I think for a lot of us who do swim in the water, we’re just gonna wait until we talk to those folks, and they’re like yeah, there’s less sharks,” Davison said. “And some people aren’t bothered at all.”

We did reach out to the Parks Division to get some more details. We’re waiting for a response.