NARRAGANSETT, R.I. (WJAR) — Dozens of witnesses reported shark sightings across Point Judith Pond over the weekend, beginning at Salty Brine State Beach Saturday and ending inside Billington Cove Sunday afternoon.
“Pretty unique actually,” said Atlantic Shark Institute Executive Director Jon Dodd. “A Porbeagle shark came in by Salty Brine State Beach and caused a pretty big stir.”
The shark, which witnesses said was about 7 feet long, eventually beached itself and died on the shore of Billington Cove in Wakefield.
NBC 10’s Maddie Heimsch spoke with Atlantic Shark Institute Executive Director Jon Dodd about the shark sighting. (WJAR)
“I could definitely see it was a shark,” said Ken O’Keefe, who lives on the cove. “I came back and woke my wife up because I wanted to make sure I had a witness and nobody thought I was losing my mind.”
O’Keefe said he and his neighbors saw the animal thrashing in the shallow marina.
“As it came closer to our docks, I saw that it was confused or struggling,” he said.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association came to the cove to do a necropsy on the shark.
O’Keefe said NOAA told him the shark was a juvenile female.
“Maybe [it] ended up on the rocks, got stuck a little bit too long, couldn’t breathe,” said Dodd.
Dodd said the shark was likely trying to travel north to escape the warm weather.
People on the beach. (WJAR)
“They love colder water, so it’s not odd for that shark to be here this time of year. The waters are getting a little warmer so that shark was about to leave,” he said.
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Dodd said porbeagle sharks are less dangerous than related species like great white sharks, but it’s still best to avoid them.