Nobody wants to swim in shark-infested waters, and the sighting of a giant shark near Duxbury Beach has many people avoiding the waters in the area.
Lifeguards spotted the huge shark near the shoreline on Monday and immediately ordered everyone out of the water.
The shark appeared to be about 15 feet long and was tracked by a state police helicopter.
Officials decided to close the beach until the shark left the area. It was closed at around 2 p.m. and opened back up around two hours later.
Get out of the water! Great white shark prompts beach evacuation in Duxbury, Mass http://t.co/DWffNqZd93 via @CBS6 pic.twitter.com/QWOgRb4e88
— CBS 6 WTVR Richmond (@CBS6) August 26, 2014
The large shark was originally said to be a great white, but officials weren’t certain and are now saying that the species is unknown.
Many beachgoers were afraid to enter the water, even after the beach was reopened, but others made light of the situation by making movie references.
One beachgoer even got creative and wrote a funny message in the sand.
PHOTO: Beachgoers left a message in Duxbury after a shark was spotted http://t.co/rqHHSF7bWY Photo @MassStatePolice pic.twitter.com/tMwoxPTevJ
— The Boston Globe (@BostonGlobe) August 25, 2014
Contrary to popular belief, shark attacks on humans are rare. That is also the reason they get so much attention.
Sharks don’t usually come close to popular beaches, and when they do it is usually because they are attracted to something in the water.
In June, several Alabama beaches had to be closed because dozens of sharks began swarming nearby. The sharks had come to the shore to feast on a sturgeon carcass which had washed up on the beach. The sharks eventually left the area a few days after they were originally spotted.
Officials in Massachusetts are not sure what attracted the large shark to the shoreline but have told beachgoers and lifeguards to be on the lookout in case it returns.