The television series is called Animal Kingdom, but the actors and film crew didn’t actually expect animals to show up during filming, especially in the form of great white sharks.
Filming for the TNT drama Animal Kingdom, a show about a Southern California crime family, took place this week down at San Onofre State Beach. That area is a hotbed for great white sharks, especially as water temperatures warm and pupping season gets underway.
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The sharks would swim around the cast and stunt doubles as they huddled up in the water together.
“There were so many sharks out there, it was unbelievable,” said Laguna Beach former pro surfer James Pribram, who was pulling double duty as water safety monitor and surfing stunt double. “We’d be in the water, we had our water safety team and lifeguards and all of a sudden they’d yell ‘incoming!’ and a shark would be swimming around us and under us.”
Pribram said there were at least 8 to 10 sightings on Monday, with 4 to 6 more Tuesday during the film shoot.
“Maybe possibly it was the same shark over and over, but the size varied so I don’t think so,” he said. “I’ve never experienced anything like that in my life.”
Pribram, who has been surfing most of his life, said he was apprehensive about getting in the water at first, but fears started to ease as sightings happened over and over throughout the shoots.
“It was weird, because it started to become the norm,” he said. “We would just bunch up together. It was so surreal… we’re filming a TV show and in the middle of it, there’s sharks swimming around.”
The film crew started dubbing the area “Shark Park.”
Pribram said State Parks lifeguards would start each morning surveying the ocean. On the first day, a 12-foot shark and 7 footer were spotted near the film location, not far from where surfers were taking waves at the break “Old Man’s” at the beach just south of San Clemente.
Lifeguards would hold a safety meeting each morning, saying there was a “shark advisory,” verses a closure, because none of the sharks were exhibiting aggressive behavior.
“But if anyone feels unsafe or scared, don’t go in the ocean,” the lifeguards would tell the actors, according to Pribram.
“All the guys in the water, most of us were pro surfers at one point and very well versed in water safety,” Pibram said.
For Pribram, it was a lesson about wildlife he’s been fascinated with his whole life.
“In a way, I actually feel like I have a better understanding of great white, after spending two days, anywhere from 8 to 10 hours in the water with sharks,” he said. “I felt like they were just swimming. We were in their natural habitat.”
Shark sightings have increased in recent years, as the numbers rebound because of added protections, experts believe. Warmer-than-normal water temperatures also may have an impact on why they are lingering in larger numbers close to shore.
A year ago, swimmer Leeanne Ericson suffered a near-fatal bite by what was believed to be a 10-foot great white shark just a short distance away from where the crew was filming.
On land, signs dotted the sand warning of the shark advisory. Still, with warm weather and swell bringing in 3-4 foot waves, the beach was packed with surfers.
TJ Cruz, a local surfer who a month ago had a great white pop up next to him, wasn’t surprised about the shark sightings during the filming.
“They’re there. It’s not a surprise,” he said with a shrug. “We’ll continue to see them.”
For Pribram, surfing among sharks was one way to earn a paycheck.
“It was full stunt work,” he said. “It was super fun, but it was kind of scary.”
No word if the sharks will actually make a Hollywood debut on the television series when the episodes air. The series premieres on May 29.
