It’s poised to be an exceptionally sharky season, this summer, in Southern California.

That’s what the experts are saying, and it appears that their predictions are already coming to fruition, as over the weekend, fishermen hooked over 20 sharks in one single day off the Hermosa Beach Pier. And the fishing frenzy comes with a bit of controversy.

One local South Bay realtor heard the news, and took to Instagram to question the shark haul. Were they actually mako sharks, like the fishermen claimed? Were they chumming the waters? See below to hear more from realtor Annie Hartley.

Captioning her video, Hartley wrote:

“Feel like going for a dip??

“A small group of fishermen caught over 20 sharks yesterday off the pier. All were between 6-9 ft and although they claim to be accidentally caught makos, experts claim these are actually great whites!

“Does this need to be monitored more? Certain restrictions on bait? After one ‘accidental’ shark pull, fisherman leaves for the day?

“Are people now seeing this and coming here hoping for the excitement of catching sharks?”

One commenter wrote: “This is concerning.”

Related: Great White Shark Hooked off Hermosa Beach Pier (Video)

The shark haul on Saturday off the Hermosa Beach Pier was broken by the local rag, Easy Reader News. In their report, they noted that the fishermen believed they were hooking makos, which are legal to catch. However, they spoke with Keith Poe, “a nationally recognized expert on sharks,” who thought they might’ve been juvenile great whites.

It’s illegal, in California, to catch great whites off piers. Per Easy Reader:

“Poe said Great Whites and Makos can be distinguished by their fins. The trailing edge of a Great White’s dorsal (top) fin is serrated. A Mako’s dorsal is smooth. The Great White’s pectoral fins (side fins) are black. A Mako’s pectoral fins are white, Poe said.”

All of this comes after the heroic and unusual scene from a few weeks ago, when 20-year-old Kevin Phan accidentally hooked a juvenile great white shark from the Hermosa Beach Pier, then stripped down to his skivvies, and helped free the animal.

Afterwards, Phan went viral.

Wonder where the fishermen from this past weekend got the idea? Suspicious?

Related: Newport Beach 8ft Great White Scare Triggers Sharky Summer Warning

This story was originally published by Surfer on Apr 13, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Surfer as a Preferred Source by clicking here.