Great White Shark Leaps Near Boogie-Boarders in Newport Beach

On July 25, 2026, a juvenile great white shark was captured on video leaping high out of the water off Newport Beach, California. The incident occurred at approximately 6:30 a.m. near Lifeguard Tower 40 while a local resident was filming his brother boogie-boarding.

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Soaren Stevenson, who was filming the activity, later reviewed the footage and said he did not notice the shark in real time. He posted the video to Facebook, remarking “Nice,” and later wrote that had he seen the shark he would have reacted more strongly.

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Christopher Lowe, a professor of marine biology and director of the Cal State Long Beach Shark Lab, confirmed that the animal in the video appears to be a juvenile great white. He suggested the leap may have been an effort to dislodge parasites crawling on the shark’s sides and backs, or simply a playful behavior.

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• “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,” — Shark Lab Christopher Lowe

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Shark-surfacing behavior, especially by great whites, draws public attention to marine-life interactions near popular beaches. Experts note that such jumps can indicate attempts to remove external parasites, offering insight into shark health and behavior. The video also underscores the value of citizen-recorded footage for marine observation.

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