A great white shark was struggling to survive late Friday as it was stranded along the California shore, and rescuers are pessimistic that the animal will live.

Dozens of people gathered on the cliffs of Pleasure Point in Santa Cruz to watch the 8-foot shark trapped in the shallow reef. Video from KSBW then captured the shark rolling in the incoming tide — bruised and bloodied.

A sheriff's patrol unit used loudspeakers to tell residents to stay clear of the shark, the Santa Cruz Sentinel reported.

Careful rescue attempts were made by the Pelagic Shark Research Foundation.

"We were able to get the shark upright and in the water. It just kind of turned around. It was aimless," foundation executive director Sean Van Sommeran told KSBW.

Van Sommeran said large waves, up to 11 feet, were hurting the shark’s chances to escape to sea.

Later Friday, Van Sommeran said he did not think the shark would survive.

If the fish dies, its carcass likely would be hauled to a California Department of Fish and Wildlife facility, Van Sommeran said.

About the Author

Keep Reading

Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Juneteenth, among others, will no longer be considered fee-free days at U.S. National Parks. While the MLK National Historic Park in Atlanta doesn't charge admission, the new schedule will affect such metro Atlanta sites as Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park. (Miguel Martinez/AJC)

Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez

Featured

Fans celebrate in the stands after Cape Verde defeated Eswatini in a World Cup qualifying soccer match at Estádio Nacional in Praia, Cape Verde, Monday, Oct. 13, 2025, to clinch their qualification for the 2026 World Cup. (Cristiano Barbosa/AP)

Credit: AP