Authorities in southeast Maine posted video of a great white shark that was spotted near several beaches this week.
The first sighting of the apex predator came around 10 a.m. Monday, according to the Scarborough Police Department. Video shot by a drone shows the fish swimming near a boat not far from Richmond Island in Cape Elizabeth.
The shark, estimated to be between 10- and 12-feet-long, was also seen closer to the shore near the Higgins and Scarborough beaches, according to local Fox affiliate WGME.
“The shark was spotted again this morning in the area off Pine Point Beach,” police posted on Facebook shortly before noon on Tuesday.
While officials are urging the public to stay informed and alert, it’s not clear whether the shark poses a danger to beachgoers as weekend temperatures are expected to reach 86 degrees and people may be seeking relief in the ocean.
New York City fashion executive Julie Dimperio Holowach was killed by a great white shark in Maine while swimming with her daughter in 2020. The 63-year-old from Manhattan is believed to be the first and only person killed by a shark in the state.
Scarborough Police Department Marine Resource Officer Daryen Granata told the Daily News by email that the shark seen on Monday and Tuesday “doesn’t pose any risk to the community other than the average great white shark would.”
According to Granata, there’s lots of food where the great white was spotted, so he isn’t surprised it chose those locations.
Matt Davis, a scientist with the Maine Department of Marine Resources, told WGME that warmer weather from climate change could cause sharks to hang around the area until later in the year than usual. He said the big fish appear to be “warming up” to places like Scarborough as the water gets warmer father north.
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