ABC News

Surfers are being warned that shark sightings and attacks are on the rise up and down the California coast after a second sighting this week follows an attack that nearly claimed a young man’s life.

For the second time in less than a week a shark was seen in the Pacific waters — this time at Beacon’s Beach in Leucadia, Calif., just north of San Diego — where a surfer spotted a shark looping around him before disappearing.

“I’m shaken up about it you know it did a couple circles around me, was checking me out … I’m not too comfortable about that,” surfer Brent Manion said. “Luckily, I wasn’t as far out as I could have been and was able to get out of the water quick.”

The shark, almost 10 feet long, forced lifeguards to advise people to keep out of the water.

Encinitas lifeguards told ABC News San Diego affiliate 10News that they believe the sighting was credible based on Manion’s description of the shark.

“He saw the shape of the nose, a dorsal fin and a straight up-and-down tail fin,” said Encinitas lifeguards Sgt. Dave Brown. Crews evacuated the area immediately and advised surfers to avoid the area.

John Mccosker, Chair of Aquatic Biology at the California Academy of Sciences says this is to be expected in this season.

“This is the peak time of the year for white shark attacks on seal, sea lions, and surfers. The white sharks are here,” Mccosker told ABC News.

Manion’s sighting comes just days after another surfer was released from the hospital narrowly surviving a Great White attack.

Eric Tarantino was about 150 yards from shore on his surfboard this weekend when the shark came out of nowhere, striking him in the arm and neck. Injured and bleeding, he was able to paddle to shore and out of harm’s way.

The Great White that approached Tarantino took a 19 inch-wide gash out of his board, and bit the 27-year old on the neck and arm; it missed the main carotid artery in his neck by just two millimeters.

“I just feel really lucky and grateful right now,” Tarantino told ABC News. “I just want to thank everyone who supported me, all my friends on the beach. The paramedics especially who helped me, the ambulance they did a great job –also, obviously everyone at the hospital.”