Great White Shark Reported in Merrimac River

[tapeworm]

I heard there were recent sightings off the Cape, but this is new...

From the Eagle Tribune

July 23, 2010
Great white shark reported in Merrimack River

NEWBURYPORT — Police and harbormasters are investigating a report this morning of a great white shark that witnesses claim to have seen at the mouth of the Merrimack River, the area where the river spills out into the Atlantic Ocean.

The state police have dispatched a helicopter to conduct an aerial search, and Newburyport's harbormaster and the state Environmental Police are also helping with the search.

The shark was spotted this morning by a fisherman and campers at the Salisbury Beach State Reservation, which is located at the mouth of the river. The fisherman reported that he had a striped bass on the line and was reeling it when the shark came up and grabbed the fish. The fisherman is said to have gotten a good observation of the shark, and is being interviewed by authorities.

The size of the shark has not been confirmed. Great whites are rarely seen in this region. While authorities are taking the report at its word, they have not confirmed that it is indeed a great white shark.

Swimmers at Salisbury Beach are being told to not wade out beyond their knees, and people coming to the tollbooth at the park entrance are being advised of the shark sighting

The river is tidal in the area where the shark was spotted, and so it's not uncommon for saltwater fish to be found in the mouth. A few years ago, a baluga whale swam as far up the river as Newburyport, which is about a mile upriver from the mouth.

Reporters and photographers for The Daily News are on the scene, and more reports will be filed as they become available.


:shark:

 

[tapeworm]

State officials deployed a helicopter today but so far have been unable to confirm the sighting of a shark off the shores of Salisbury Beach.

The Division of Marine Fisheries and the State Police, which patrols Salisbury Beach State Reservation, both tried to confirm the sighting, but were unsuccessful. State Police used a helicopter for aerial surveillance, officials said.

A fisherman sparked the inquiry who said something took his bait and that he thought it was a large shark, said State Police spokesman David Procopio.

As a precaution, swimmers at Salisbury Beach were told this morning to stay in shallow waters, said Wendy Fox, spokeswoman for the Department of Conservation and Recreation, which oversees the beach. But that order was rescinded this afternoon after the siting could not be confirmed, and swimmers are no longer being restricted, she said.

Any time someone reports a shark sighting it has to be investigated, said Marine Fisheries spokeswoman Catherine Williams. Some media outlets reported that the fisherman spotted a suspected great white shark, but officials would not immediately confirm that.

There have been three confirmed sightings of great white sharks off the coast of Massachusetts so far this year, one near Gloucester, one near Scituate, and one near Chatham.

 

[Cruisin Home]

very vague. Why wont the person that sighted this come forward? Could have been an ocean sunfish which I sayw at the same spot last year and many passers by thought it was a shark.

wont stop me from diving . last bite in Mass was in the 1930s and there were many more sharks then!

 

[Willar]

CNN Video: Great White Sharks spotted near Cape Cod.

 

[vladimir]

The state police have dispatched a helicopter to conduct an aerial search

A helicopter!! Haven't they seen Jaws2?!

 

[NC Wreck Diver]

I saw the footage on the news tonight. The tail had the classic Great White tapers (IF the footage was accurate of the sightings today - The Media loves hype).

Sharks live in the ocean. We visit their home. Just go diving. It's a lot more dangerous driving to the dive boat than any shark being aggresive to divers.

 

[ProfessorAronnax]

A helicopter!! Haven't they seen Jaws2?!

LMAO! One of my favorite scenes

 

[Froid]

A helicopter!! Haven't they seen Jaws2?!

Now that is funny!

 

[veriqster]

There are at least 3 seals out of which 2 pups on the rocks right 200ft up from the ocean. the area is tidal but given the large volume of flats the water is mostly salty. there are seals on isles of shoals or nearby as a rule so a great white would not be such an unusual thing in the area, they eat seals after all. the fact that none are usually sighted is due to the low viz in the area, the last 2-3 weeks have been unusually clear viz wise so that might be the reason of the sighting and not the fact that a white strayed in there, i bet they are around that place most of the time.

 

[veriqster]

p.s. usual viz in the area is about 10ft, last time i went there (2 weeks ago) it was at least 30ft (you could see the bubbles on the surface from the bottom at 30ft)