A popular Massachusetts beach will remain closed to swimming through the end of September due to the presence of great white sharks in the water near the shoreline.
Crane Beach in the North Shore town of Ipswich will be off-limits to swimmers until at least Oct. 1 amid confirmed sightings and continued reports of sharks spotted in the area, Christopher Moore, property director for Crane Beach and Castle Hill, announced Monday.
The Atlantic White Shark Conservancy’s Sharktivity app showed six shark sightings off the beach in the last week.
“Visitor safety is our top priority. We will continue to reassess and will reopen for swimming as soon as shark activity in the area dissipates enough to be deemed safe,” Moore said in a statement shared with Boston 25.
Moore said the decision to extend the closure was made after consulting with the Ipswich Harbormaster and Greg Skomal, a shark expert with the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries.
Crane Beach does remain open for visitors who want to walk on the beach, hike on the dune trails, or simply enjoy the beauty of the beach, Moore noted.
The beach also opens for dog walking on Oct. 1 when shorebird season ends.
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