Officials warn nude beachgoers to exercise caution after 3 great white sharks were spotted feasting on the carcass of a sea lion

• Three great white sharks were seen 100 yards off the shore of a famous nude beach in San Diego.
• The juveniles, which measured between 6 and 9 feet long, were eating a sea lion when spotted. 
• While sightings are up, shark attacks are relatively rare, with just 81 recorded worldwide in 2022.

The sighting of great white sharks off the coast of San Diego prompted the local Fire-Rescue Department to issue urgent warnings to locals and tourists considering visiting a famous regional nude beach: enter at your own risk.

Three juvenile great whites were spotted Friday about 100 yards, or roughly the length of a football field, away from shore at Black's Beach, a popular destination known for its impressive surf and nude visitors. 

"The sharks were 6, 8, and 9 feet in length and were feeding on the carcass of a sea lion," The San Diego Fire-Rescue Department said in a statement released Friday about the incident. "They were not exhibiting any aggressive behavior."

The San Diego Fire-Rescue Department did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

Signs announcing the sighting were posted along the beach a mile in each direction from where the sharks were seen, warning visitors to take care while swimming. 

While sightings of sharks have been increasing in recent years, shark attacks remain relatively rare, with just 81 unprovoked attacks recorded worldwide in 2022, Time reported. So far this year, there have been 37 incidents where a diver was decapitated by a 19-foot-long great white shark in Mexico in January. 

Great whites have a reputation as being "the most dangerous sharks" to humans, responsible for the highest number of unprovoked attacks of any shark species. However, Insider previously reported they most often swim by surfers and other beachgoers without incident.