Largest shark in La Jolla

Greg Amptman Sevengill shark in La Jolla

The return of the prehistoric-looking sevengill sharks to La Jolla Cove can be safely witnessed by humans.

Sevengill sharks migrate to the cove every spring and can be seen by swimmers and divers in water as shallow as 15 feet. The recent sightings have attracted many curious free-divers and scuba divers.

Sevengill Shark Diving Expedition 2015 Video:

“The sevengills are one of our favorite sharks to dive with since they require no cage, no chum, and are the largest sharks we take customers in the water with,” said Nick Lebeouf, a cofounder of SD Expeditions, which leads scuba tours to see the animals.

Scientists don’t know much about this mysterious shark, but they know that they return to the La Jolla Cove from March to May. Sevengill sharks (Notorynchus cepedianus) average from five to seven feet long and are the largest shark commonly found in La Jolla.

The International Shark Attack File considers this shark to be potentially dangerous because of its proximity to humans and aggressive behavior when provoked, but there have been no recorded fatalities.