Possible Shark Sighting Has North Shore On Edge

IPSWICH, MA -- A kayaker believes he saw a 10-foot mako shark at the mouth of the Essex River on the edge of Crane Beach Wednesday morning. Life Guards reported the sighting at 9:40 am to Ipswich Police, who dispatched a patrol boat.

Police and lifeguards in another boat made several passes but were unable to see the shark. A lifeguard would be stationed near where the shark was spotted by the kayaker for the remainder of the day, police said. The area is away from the main swimming area, and the beach was not closed.

While makos generally prefer warmer waters, the shark can be found in the western Atlantic from Argentina to Nova Scotia. If it was indeed a mako, you can feel relatively safe if you plan to go for a swim Wednesday afternoon: Between 1580 and 2017, there were only nine confirmed attacks by makos on humans, one of which was fatal, according to the International Shark Attack File. There were also 20 attacks by makos on boats during the same time span.

"This species will not generally attack humans and does not seem to treat them as prey. Most modern attacks involving shortfin mako sharks are considered to have been provoked due to harassment or the shark being caught on a fishing line," ISAF notes on its Website.

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Photo by Jamen Percy/Shutterstock.com.

Dave Copeland can be reached at dave.copeland@patch.com or by calling 617-433-7851. Follow him on Twitter (@CopeWrites) and Facebook (/copewrites).