Shark activity will keep Crane Beach closed to swimming for days
IPSWICH - A well-known beach on Massachusetts' North Shore will stay closed to swimming for days "due to the continued presence of sharks," beach operators say.
A great white shark sighting first closed Crane Beach in Ipswich on Tuesday when a police officer on a boat spotted a shark in about five to seven feet of water. Now the Trustees of Reservations says Crane Beach will be closed for swimming until at least Monday after consulting with biologists and law enforcement.
"Today's patrol by the harbormaster indicated there were still sharks present in the immediate area of the beach," property director Chris Moore said in a statement Wednesday. "We will continue to work closely with local law enforcement and the harbormaster to determine the safest and most responsible plan to reopen the beach for swimming."
The beach will still be open for hiking on the dune trails, and events at the historic Castle Hill home on the property this weekend will not be affected.
A WBZ-TV helicopter spotted about 20 sharks in the shallow waters off Crane Beach Tuesday.
Shark activity on Cape Cod
There was also shark activity on Wednesday along the Outer Cape, according to the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy's Sharktivity app.
Acoustic shark receivers detected sharks off Chatham, Orleans and Wellfleet.
While shark sightings are more common around Cape Cod, Massachusetts shark biologist John Chisholm told WBZ-TV that it's not unusual for sharks to be off the North Shore or anywhere along the coast of New England this time of year.
"This is the peak of the season, this is when you see activity increase," Chisholm said.
