Massachusetts

Cape Cod Beach Temporarily Closed to Swimming Due to Shark Sighting

Head of the Meadow Beach in Truro, Massachusetts was closed to swimming for one hour

Head of the Meadow Beach in Truro, Massachusetts was closed to swimming for an hour Tuesday morning after a great white shark was spotted near shore.

According to the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy's Sharktivity app, the beach was closed after a confirmed shark sighting around 11:40 a.m.

The nonprofit group said on Twitter later in the day that "quite a few sharks" were spotted close to shore during their research trip Tuesday. A photo of the shark tweeted out by the shark conservancy shows it in what appears to be about 7 or 8 feet of water, with beachgoers clearly visible in the background.

Researchers said they tagged four sharks off Wellfleet and Truro Tuesday, bringing their total so far this season to 12.

"We haven’t tagged this many this early, so it’s been a banner year," Greg Skomal, a shark biologist at the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries, said on Twitter.

Tuesday's beach closure comes after swimming at four Cape Cod beaches was temporarily suspended on Saturday and Sunday due to shark sightings. Swimming was halted twice on Saturday at Head of the Meadow Beach alone.

At least 15 great white sharks were spotted off the Cape over the weekend. Over the last week alone, there have now been nearly 50 sightings.

Researchers on Cape Cod launched a new study last month focused on the hunting and feeding habits of the region's great white sharks following last year's two attacks on humans, including the state's first fatal one in more than 80 years. They hope the work contributes critical information to the ongoing debate over how to keep Cape beachgoers safe.

The slew of sightings over the weekend come as Barnstable county commissioners are set to hear from two groups Wednesday concerning shark safety.

One group, the Wellfleet Concerned Citizens Coalition, is concerned that not enough is being done since the fatal shark attack in their community. Commissioners will also hear from API Systems, a company that is proposing a shark warning system for the Cape.

No votes are expected to be taken on Wednesday.

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