Maine Has Launched A New Shark Sighting Reporting Tool
With the warmer weather, locals and tourists are returning to Maine's beaches. Many of those people plan to take a dip in the ocean.
As the events of last summer have taught us, you never know when a shark will make its way along Maine's coastline. While shark sightings are rare, and attacks are even more rare, there is always a concern for people's safety.
As a result, the State of Maine has launched a new tool that will help beachgoers and boaters report possible shark sightings.
According to News Center Maine, the Maine Department of Marine Resources has added an easy to use tool to its website. Basically, it is a form that allows people who believe they have seen a shark to upload pictures / videos of what they saw. They will also be able to add a description and other pertinent information (where they were when the pictures were taken, the time of the sighting, etc).
One of the hopes is that the new system will prevent unnecessary panic being caused by harmless fish. Apparently, it is quite common for people to mistake the massive, but harmless, basking shark for a killer great white shark. As I am not a marine biologist, I am pretty sure that I would not be able to tell the difference.
If you think you have seen a shark, you can file a report HERE.
Whether you're from Boston, New York, New Hampshire, or just down the road, enjoy our beaches, but please be safe.
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