We're gonna need a bigger boat

[WilliamPitt]

Chatham warns swimmers to be cautious after shark sightings

A state shark expert is on his way to the Monomoy Island area off Chatham today after sightings of several large sharks in the area Thursday, officials said. The state Division of Fisheries and Widlife received a report Thursday of one or more large sharks off the east shore of the island, said Executive Office of Energy and Evnironmental Affairs spokeswoman Lisa Capone. The state's shark expert, Greg Skomal,flew over the area and was able to confirm there were five large sharks,” Capone said. The sharks were swimming a mile or more away from the nearest swimming beach, Lighthouse Beach.

Capone said officials wanted to let Cape residents and visitors know sharks were in the area, and were hoping to find out this afternoon if the sharks are still around. “Greg is out on the boat now and he’ll try to identify the species of shark,” Capone said. She was not expecting to hear conclusive information on the species until noontime. Capone said the information received from Skomal will be passed along to Chatham town officials, and it is up to the town to decide whether beaches should be closed. “All we can confirm so far is that it is definitely a large species of shark,” Capone said.

Authorities in Chatham on Thursday urged swimmers to be careful while cooling off in the waters off the town. "While it is rare for a shark to strike and attack a human in the water, it can happen and given the recent local shark sightings, swimmers should exercise caution while swimming in Chatham's ocean waters. In particular, people should avoid swimming in waters in the direct proximity of seals where sharks may be in search of prey," the town's harbormaster and parks and recreation director said in a statement. The statement said there have been "recent confirmed reports of sharks feeding on seals" in the area. On Aug. 28, the carcass of a seal was confirmed to have been partly eaten by a large shark, the statement said.

More: http://www.boston.com/news/local/breaking_news/2009/09/chatham_warns_s.html?p1=Well_MostPop_Emailed2