San Diego lifeguards issued a shark advisory along 2 1/2 miles of coastline in La Jolla Tuesday afternoon after multiple reports of a possible shark feeding near the shore.
Lifeguards issued the advisory shortly after 1 p.m. for the north side of Scripps Pier north to Bathtub Rock after several witnesses reported what they believed to be a shark about five feet in length.
While a five-foot shark is not considered a significant threat, the number of witnesses and the feeding behavior prompted the advisory, according to a statement from the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department.
"We either have two separate sightings in the same general vicinity (one shark and one sea lion), or the witnesses all saw a sea lion feeding on a fish but perceived it as a shark," according to Monica Munoz, an SDFD spokeswoman. "We are acting out of an abundance of caution."
Lifeguards were advising people at the beach to stay out of the water. A helicopter was dispatched as a precaution, according to SDFD.
