Archive for the 'Closings' Category
Thursday, October 22nd, 2009
An aerial sighting of a 14-foot tiger shark and a 5-foot shark of an unidentified species delayed Tuesday’s reopening of a portion of South Maui coastline after a shark bit a 54-year-old surfer early Monday morning off Kalama Park.
Around 6 a.m. Monday, Kihei resident Scott Henrich had been sitting upright on his board, waiting to catch a wave at the Kalama Bowls surf spot when he was bitten on the right leg by a shark.
State and county officials planned to reopen the beach areas Tuesday morning after checking the coastal waters by air. But the helicopter reconnaissance around 7 a.m. spotted the tiger shark north of the attack site and the other shark was seen at the location where Henrich had been bitten.
Officials kept the coastal areas closed until noon when a second helicopter flyover found no sharks. The beaches have since been reopened.
photo: AMANDA COWAN
[source]
Monday, October 19th, 2009
A shark sighting closed a portion of Poipu Beach fronting the Marriott Waiohi Beach Resort on Kauai yesterday.
Lifeguards closed the beach after a diver spotted the 8-foot grey shark at 2:45 p.m and expected it to remained closed for the rest of the day.
[source]
Wednesday, August 12th, 2009
Seacliff and New Brighton state beaches are closed for up to seven days after visitors spotted a shark chomping on a porpoise off Seacliff beach at around 3 p.m. Tuesday.
“We have a confirmed predatory activity attack by a shark,” said Kirk Lingenfelter, superintendent with California State Parks, who ordered the closures when a four-foot long harbor porpoise washed up on Seacliff beach soon after the shark was spotted. Lingenfelter said researchers are still determining the size and type of the shark.
In keeping with protocol, the beaches will be closed to swimming, bathing and surfing within one mile of the shark sighting. Seabright and New Brighton could open by the weekend if no more sightings are reported.
The Santa Cruz County closures follow the closure of three miles of Stinson Beach in Marin County on Monday due to reported shark sightings there. Those beaches could reopen Friday.
[source]
Tuesday, August 11th, 2009
Stinson Beach was closed Tuesday to swimmers, waders, and surfers following a pair of shark sightings.
Golden Gate National Recreation officials told CBS 5 that they received two “reliable” shark sighting reports on Monday. As a result, they made the decision to close the beach for 5 days. The beach was to remain closed until Saturday, although the length of the closure could be extended if additional sightings occured.
Officials did not immediately know what kind of shark was spotted, but noted that Great White Sharks are very common in the area and there have been several attacks over the years.
The Stinson beach closure is the first in Northern California following a string of warnings in recent days to beachgoers in Oregon after a string of unusual shark sightings – and the capture of a 12-foot creature – along the Oregon coastline.
Thursday, June 11th, 2009
Sharks forced the closure of Cocoa Beach Today. Lifeguards shut it down for about two hours this morning after someone spotted one of our toothy friends near the pier.
[source]
Thursday, March 12th, 2009
Kaua’i police closed the beach fronting the Lawa’i Beach Resort through thursday morning after a shark was sighted.
A swimmer reported seeing a 6 to 7 foot shark about 100 feet offshore, police said. “No swimming allowed” signs were posted in the area.
[source]
Saturday, February 7th, 2009
The beach at Phipps Ocean Park in Florida was closed all day Thursday because those pesky sharks were swimming too close to shore again.
Palm Beach Ocean Rescue has closed the area to swimmers several times recently because of shark sightings. Lifeguards also have closed Midtown Beach, as needed, when sharks are in the area.
No one swimming in the town’s guarded beaches has been injured by sharks… yet.
[source]
Friday, December 26th, 2008
According to AdelaideNow.com, so far this month, South Australia’s aerial patrol has spotted sharks 39 times along the state’s coastline – the same number for the entire summer of 2007-08 and more than 2005-06.
In the past week there have been 10 separate shark sightings off metro beaches, including five yesterday.
Swimmers were evacuated from Grange beach yesterday after a 9 ft bronze whaler was sighted just 60 ft offshore about 12.30pm. The four other sightings were another at Grange, two at Henley Beach and one at Port Willunga.
It’s shark season!
Wednesday, November 26th, 2008
One of Cape Town’s most popular beaches, Muizenberg Beach, was closed after a dead whale was found floating in waist-deep water.
But it wasn’t the whale that was the problem. It was all the sharks that were feeding on it.
The 32 ft juvenile Humpback whale carcass was found at Surfer’s Corner in Muizenberg and appeared to have shark bite marks.
Local shark spotters are on high alert, and law enforcement officers are on the scene, advising people not to surf or swim at the beach.
[source]
UPDATE: A couple pics of the half-munched whale… click ‘em to enlarge.
Monday, September 15th, 2008
Two more reported shark sightings on Oahu’s Windward side… the first closed Waimanalo Beach Park when someone saw a 15-foot tiger shark in the water.
Then, on Sunday afternoon, someone reported a six to eight foot shark at Lanikai. They couldn’t confirm the sighting so the beach is still open.
This comes after a busy week of sightings and one attack.
In what state experts call the biggest influx of sharks they’ve seen in a long time, beaches from Hapuna to Waialea bay closed for six straight days. They reopened but signs stayed posted Friday.
…and last Tuesday, Todd Murashige was bitten on his right leg while surfing Crouching Lions.
…and on Thursday, a 10-to-12 foot tiger shark off Laniakeas and Chuns Reef had lifeguards pulling people out of the water. No one there was hurt.
[source + video]
