IPSWICH, Mass. — The swimming ban at a popular North Shore beach has once again been extended due to the continued presence of great white sharks in the water near the shoreline.
The Trustees said this week that Crane Beach in Ipswich will remain closed to swimming through the end of October.
“After a patrol on Monday by the Ipswich Harbormaster, during which sharks were spotted off Crane Beach, we decided out of an abundance of caution to keep the beach closed to swimming through the month of October,” The Trustees spokesperson Mary Dettloff said in a statement.
Tuesday marked the end of shorebird nesting season, officially permitting the return of dog walking on the beach.
Dettloff urged all dog walkers to keep their pets out of the water until further notice because of the shark safety concerns.
“We are asking dog owners to keep their pets out of the water at this time to be safe,” Dettloff added in the statement.
The beach area remains open for other forms of recreation, including walking or hiking on the dune trails.
The Atlantic White Shark Conservancy’s Sharktivity app has shown a slew of shark sightings off the beach in recent weeks.
The beach was first closed to swimming in mid-September and the ban was extended through the end of that month just days later.
Videos shared by the Ipswich Police Department showed sharks swimming in about five to seven feet of water.
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