Coast Guard tells recreational boaters, paddlers to be alert for sharks off New England coast
By APFriday, July 2, 2010
Coast Guard warns boaters of sharks by New England
BOSTON — The Coast Guard is telling recreational boaters and paddlers to watch out for sharks in the ocean waters off New England.
The Coast Guard issued the shark advisory Friday, just before the long holiday weekend. The move comes days after a juvenile great white shark was caught by a tuna boat in Stellwagen Bank, a sandy underwater plateau that curves north from the tip of Cape Cod.
The advisory from Coast Guard boating specialist Al Johnson says the sharks could be about 15 feet long. He says that’s big enough to capsize a small boat or kayak.
Johnson says a passing shark “would surely find a splashing paddle or dangling hand inviting.”
He says boaters should steer clear of seal colonies or passing pods of seals — a favorite food of sharks.
