Cue the “Jaws” theme — lifeguards cleared the waters at 3rd Beach Wednesday afternoon after a shark was spotted lurking just offshore.
The beach was buzzing when the alert went out, sending swimmers scrambling to shore. Within minutes, the harbormaster was circling the scene by boat, scanning for fins and teeth.
Officials haven’t confirmed the species yet, but the sighting is just the latest in a recent wave of shark activity off Rhode Island’s coast — including a video of a hammerhead shark eating a striped bass in the very same waters last weekend. From Newport to Block Island, beach towns are on high alert as fins keep popping up where swimmers usually roam.
No injuries were reported, but the scare was enough to shut down the surf for the afternoon. Beachgoers were told to stay on the sand while authorities investigated.
“From what we’re seeing and hearing, this is an unconfirmed sighting and there was no immediate threat to any swimmer, but we wanted to make sure we took every precaution,” said Will Cronin, who oversees beach operations for the town. “Everyone responded exactly how they should and beach patrons have been really good when we’ve told them about it. I’d also like to personally thank the staff and the Middletown Police Department for their quick and appropriate response.”
Experts blame warming waters and booming seal populations for bringing sharks closer to shore — and locals are being urged to stay vigilant.
Welcome to shark season, Rhode Island.
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