Great white shark sightings close Cape Cod beach; 1 spotted near large group of people on sand

Great white shark sightings close Cape Cod beach

CHATHAM, Mass. — Officials have closed five miles of a Cape Cod beach after a spotter pilot saw three more great white sharks, including one swimming about 100 yards from a party on the sand.

Harbormaster Stuart Smith tells The Boston Globe on Friday the isolated South Beach in Chatham, just south of popular Lighthouse Beach, is closed to swimming indefinitely.

The Globe reported a shark, estimated at 14 feet long and 1,500 pounds, was sighted 100 yards offshore of a large group of people sitting on the beach.

State marine fishery officials said earlier this week that a handful of great whites have been seen offshore at Chatham.

State Division of Marine Fisheries director Paul Diodati (DEE’-oh-DAH’-tee) says the sharks are likely being attracted to seals swimming close to shore there.

Information from: The Boston Globe, www.boston.com/globe