Great white shark sighting ends ocean-training plans for California sheriff’s office

A California sheriff’s helicopter crew thought twice Tuesday about doing some open-water training in Bodega Bay after spotting a great white shark, a video shows.

The crew of “Henry-1,” a Sonoma County Sheriff’s Department helicopter, spotted the 13- to 15-foot-long shark in shallow water near the Estero Americano about 3 p.m., the department wrote on Facebook.

The deputies had been considering doing some open-water training, but quickly reconsidered, according to the post, which included video of the shark.

“The crew was quiet knowing they had been in that same water yesterday,” deputies wrote on Facebook.

The sheriff’s office Facebook post about the shark had been shared more than 1,000 times as of Wednesday morning and had 750 comments.

“I‘m not sure why you wouldn’t want to go in there with it. It looks like it’s just taking a leisurely stroll. The water looks absolutely beautiful though,” one comment read.

Shark sightings are not unusual at Bodega Bay, north of San Francisco Bay and Point Reyes National Seashore.

This story was originally published June 12, 2019 at 7:05 AM with the headline "Great white shark sighting ends ocean-training plans for California sheriff’s office."