http://www.capecodonline.com/apps/pbcs. ... F207080347

ORLEANS — A shark sighting off Nauset Beach spurred an evacuation of the water and closed the beach to swimming Saturday afternoon.

The sighting was reported just after 2 p.m., said Orleans Harbormaster Dawson Farber. The great white shark is an estimated 12 to 14 feet long, he said.

"We had everyone exit the water," Farber said.

Shelly Negrotti, who summers in Falmouth but is from Upton, photographed the shark and watched the scene unfold. "I was in the water taking pictures," she said, "and there were two kayaks" an estimated 50 feet from the shore. She said the shark became "attracted" to the blue kayak as the red kayak headed for shore.

One of the kayakers was Walter Szulc Jr., of Manchester, N.H., who told NBC affiliate 7News in Boston that he "got a pretty good glimpse of it."

"So I looked behind me, and that's when I saw the shark; it was pretty much right there," said Szulc in the 7News interview. "It was good-sized, it had a fin sticking out, so I just turned and paddled."

Szulc said the shark was maybe "seven or eight feet" behind him.

The sighting was reported immediately to beach officials, who called Farber, who went out on the water to confirm it. Once his team confirmed the sighting by boat, they decided to keep the beach closed for swimming for the rest of the day.

But after 6 p.m., swimmers were seen wading into the water, some even riding waves.

Visitors to Nauset seemed less afraid and more excited about the shark sighting.

"Everyone wanted to see it," said Karen O'Connell of Medfield. She said it got as close as 10 feet offshore, and many of the kids there wanted to get a closer look. "There were people running toward it." Her daughter Grace said she was "psyched" when she heard about the shark.

Bill Synnotte, of Waterbury, Conn., said the shark sighting is "part of the allure" of visiting Cape Cod.

"There's a little more interest," he said. But as far as danger goes, Synnotte isn't worried. "As long as you're sensible, it's fine."

Dave White, avid surfer and surf instructor at the Pump House Surf Shop in Orleans, said he's used to shark sightings.

"I've seen six," he said. "It's nothing I haven't seen before."

White said he advises surfers to "go right in" toward the shore when there is any sort of marine life acting strangely. White also stressed keeping your wits about you.

"Sharks here are not aggressive. If you respect them, they'll respect you," he said.

Dick Hilmer, who runs the Orleans-based kayak tour company Explore Cape Cod, said he ran a number of tours after the sighting and made his customers aware there was a shark in the area.

"As a guide, I was on guard all day," he said, adding he advises kayakers to "barge together" to appear larger to the shark.

There have been three sharks spotted in Cape waters since June 30. It is believed the increased number of seals are attracting hungry sharks.

There has not been a shark attack on a human in local waters since 1936, when a man was killed swimming in Buzzards Bay near Mattapoisett.

In the immediate future, the town will evaluate the situation at its beaches every day, and if there's no evidence of sharks, the beaches will stay open, said Paul Fulcher, Orleans' parks and beaches superintendent

I only ever go to the beach in Rhode Island, in the neighborhood of Block Island, but this shit scares me.

I prefer Buzzard's Bay, myself.

Zeagle must have failed RIP

This is clearly an imposter Zeagle.

Well, there are lots of little Zeagles running around.

I don't usually hit RM on Sunday nights...

Sorry that I was late to your shark party, chud.

Plz change your avatar thanks.

I saw on the news the other day that lobster was cheaper than hot dogs up that way....so if I did come up there, I wouldn't be messing with sharks - I would be eating lobster like my name was Joey Chestnut!

There's a lobsterman in my neighborhood that sells them fresh from his boat every friday and saturday for like 5 or 6 bucks a pound. I usually hit that up every other week. You should come up sometime.

Would you, like, hang out with me? Maybe give me a tour of Boston and stuff?

Sure!

Come to Portland. The Way Life Should Be.

I really just want to see all the Whitey Bulger spots...do you know where all the bodies are buried and what not?

That's way out in Oregon.

Forget it!

that one is named after this one, Pal.

I can show you where Kevin White (his right hand man) had people meet him to pay protection money.

True story: Portland Oregon was almost named Boston Oregon.

I thought we were above the use of this, buddy...but I apparently overestimated you...

Spoiler: show

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