A shark was spotted making its way through the shallow waters in Point Judith Pond in Narragansett, Rhode Island over the weekend as crowds gathered on the beach to enjoy the warm weather, NBC affiliate WJAR-TV reports.
Dozens of witnesses saw the marine predator, with reports starting at Salty Brine State Beach Saturday and ending inside Billington Cove Sunday afternoon.
Jon Dodd with the Atlantic Shark Institute said it was a 7-foot porbeagle shark and was likely headed north, but never made it. It beached on the shore and ultimately died.
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“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 explained.
Dodd said porbeagles are less dangerous than related species like great whites, but it’s still a good idea to keep your distance.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association was called in to do a necropsy.