Home / Environment / Harpswell Flags Stay Up: Sharks Now a Summer-Long Warning
Harpswell Flags Stay Up: Sharks Now a Summer-Long Warning
23 Jul
Summary
- Harpswell will fly shark warning flags all summer, changing policy.
- Policy change follows a fatal shark attack in 2020 and recent sightings.
- New approach aims to increase awareness and ease park staff workload.
Harpswell will maintain shark warning flags at its beaches for the full summer season, moving away from a policy that removed flags within 24 hours of a sighting. This updated approach comes nearly six years after a fatal shark attack off Harpswell and follows a recent spate of sightings that caused beach closures in nearby towns.
Town officials stated the previous system was insufficient given the frequency of great white shark movements. The new policy, implemented after officials persuaded the select board, aims to enhance public awareness about sharks.
Concerns were raised on social media about the effectiveness of season-long warnings, but officials highlighted a study indicating sharks regularly frequent Harpswell's waters. Shark attacks in Maine remain rare, but an increasing seal population suggests more encounters with great whites along the Northeast coast.
