A shark was captured on video leaping high out of the water in Newport Beach Saturday.
SoCal local Soaren Stevenson told KTLA 5 News that he was filming his brother boogie boarding near Lifeguard Tower 40 at 6:30 a.m. when the shark exploded out of the water in the distance.
Professor of marine biology and director of the Cal State Long Beach Shark Lab Christopher Lowe told KTLA 5 News that the shark in the video appears to be a juvenile great white.
Lowe said the shark was possibly trying to scratch an itch. That, or it was having a good time.
A great white shark seen leaping out of the water in Newport Beach on July 25, 2026. (Soaren Stevenson) 
A great white shark seen leaping out of the water in Newport Beach on July 25, 2026. (Soaren Stevenson)
“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,” Lowe said. “The only other reason I can think of is that they are jumping for fun.”
Watch footage of the shark catching air in the video player at the top of this story.
