Shark sighting closes popular North Shore, Massachusetts beach for swimming for 2nd day in a row
Good Harbor Beach in Gloucester, Massachusetts was closed for swimming for a second day in a row after a reported shark sighting Friday morning.
The city in a social media post told beachgoers to "please stay out of the water until further notice and follow lifeguard instructions."
The water at Good Harbor was also closed for a few hours Thursday afternoon because of a shark sighting at nearby Long Beach. The harbormaster investigated but no sharks were seen around Good Harbor on Thursday and the beach was reopened at about 3 p.m.
The great white shark tracking app Sharktivity has logged a handful of reported shark sightings off the North Shore in the past 30 days. Far more have been seen around Cape Cod.
"We never have sharks at Good Harbor Beach," one Facebook user commented, though experts say great whites can show up anywhere along the coast during shark season.
Crane Beach in Ipswich, located a few miles to the north, implemented new shark safety measures this summer, including a shark detection buoy. Last fall, the beach was closed to swimmers for weeks because of the continued presence of sharks, and people were even told to keep their dogs away from the water.
Sharks aren't the only reason swimmers are urged to stay out of the water on Friday. A high surf advisory is in effect through 8 p.m. on Saturday as Hurricane Erin heads out to sea, with the National Weather Service warning of "large breaking waves of 10 to 15 feet" on Massachusetts beaches, in addition to dangerous rip currents.