Great White Shark Spotted By Whale Watching Boat Off Dana Point

DANA POINT (CBSLA.com) — With temperatures forecast to be in the high 90s and beyond this weekend, beachgoers hoping to beat the heat should beware of the dangers that lurk beneath the waters.

Not only are forecasters predicting strengthening waves and vicious rip currents, Orange County waters have seen rash of shark sightings, the latest of which was on Saturday, when a whale watching excursion off the coast of Dana Point spotted a great white shark.

"It was just this big fin," said Capt. Tom White. "I just stopped the boat and we sat and watched the shark for 10 minutes." said Capt. Tom White.

The shark spotted by the group on a Dana Wharf Whale Watch excursion was believed to be about 10 to 12 feet long.

Sharks have been spotted intermittently up and down the Orange County coast over the past several weeks, with one attack on Memorial Day weekend and forcing several beach closures.

Scientists believe the uptick in sightings could be due to unseasonably warm ocean waters.

Maria Korcsmaros, a mother and triathlete, was swimming in the waters off Corona del Mar State Beach on May 29 when she was attacked by a great white shark, possibly 10 feet long. The shark's bite tore through her right arm, broke two ribs, damaged her lung and her liver and fractured her pelvis, but Korcsmaros recovered from her injuries.