IPSWICH, MASS. (WHDH) - Crane Beach in Ipswich will remain closed to swimming through Monday due to continued shark sightings, officials said.
Crane Beach Property Director Chris Moore, announced the extended closure in a statement Wednesday afternoon, roughly 24 hours after officials first announced a shark sighting off the east end of the beach on Tuesday.
“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,” Moore said.
Crane Beach is managed by the nonprofit, the Trustees. Though the beach is closed to swimming, it remains open to other activities, including hiking on dune trails. Events at Crane Beach and Castle Hill, a historic home on the property, will also be held as scheduled.
Ipswich police shared video of sharks swimming off Crane Beach Tuesday afternoon. SKY7-HD also spotted several sharks.
Moore said the Ipswich harbormaster patrolled the area again on Wednesday morning and found sharks still present near the beach.
Ipswich police on Tuesday identified the sharks near Crane Beach as great white sharks. Though great whites are most frequently seen near the outer shores of Cape Cod, sightings have still occurred along the South Shore, in Boston Harbor, and along the North Shore.
Shark sightings are common throughout the summer months and into the early fall along New England’s coastline. Sharks generally leave the area in the late fall, according to the Massachusetts Department of Fish and Game, to spend their winters in the Gulf of Mexico and in waters off the coast of the southeastern US.
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