From staff reports
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NEWBURYPORT — The hunt for an alleged great white shark sighted at the mouth of the Merrimack River turned up empty yesterday, but authorities say it's not implausible that such a beast could have ventured into local waters.
Police and harbormasters investigated a report yesterday morning that a fisherman had seen a great white shark at the mouth of the river, where it spills into the Atlantic Ocean. State police sent a helicopter to check local waters, but found no sign of the shark.
Newburyport Harbormaster Paul Hogg said the fisherman reported that he had just pulled a legal-sized striped bass onto his boat and was gutting it, letting blood run into the water. The shark suddenly emerged from the water, then rolled over and swam off. The Hudson, N.H., fisherman, whom Hogg described as experienced and very familiar with local waters, reported the shark was "about as long as his boat," which is 24 feet.
The fisherman could not be reached for comment.
Authorities have not confirmed the size or type of shark. Great whites are rarely seen in this region, although a state shark scientist said this is within their range.
"White sharks are broadly distributed from the Caribbean right up to Canada, so it's entirely possible," said Greg Skomal, a shark scientist for the state Division of Marine Fisheries. "This is part of their range, but it's also within the range of other animals, as well."
There have been no prior confirmed reports of a shark in the river.
Great whites are the most infamous of killer sharks, due in large part to their portrayal in the novel and movie "Jaws." Set on Martha's Vineyard, "Jaws" depicted an enormous, man-eating great white shark that terrorized a small seaside community.
Great whites have been spotted and caught off the Massachusetts coast this summer, though none has been large.
The shark sighting led Salisbury Beach State Reservation to temporarily restrict swimmers from going out beyond knee depth, but that order was rescinded around noon. Beachgoers were warned when they reached the admission gate, and some chose to turn around and stay out of the water. But many others headed to the beach.
It was also the subject of much talk along the waterfront.
"It's a pretty unlikely thing," longtime tuna fisherman Joey Jancewicz said. "It's very rare that they come north of Cape Cod."
While Jancewicz said a great white was recently caught in and around the Gloucester area, which is farther north than is typical, he found it hard to believe a 24-footer would be lurking near the mouth of the Merrimack.
"It would be the first time ever in my life that there has been a shark in the Merrimack River," said Jancewicz, who has been fishing around here for 40 years.
It would also be a first for Windward Yacht Yard manager Butch Frangipane, who has made his living along the river for the past three decades.
"I don't think I've ever heard of a shark in the river," he said.
Still, Hogg, the Newburyport harbormaster, said it would not be unusual to see some type of large shark come in as close to shore as was reported by the fisherman. The water has been so warm that fish of all kinds have been plentiful close to the shoreline, which attracts predators, he said.
Hogg also noted that while the shark had some white on it, that does not necessarily mean it was a great white.
The search for the shark began around 10 a.m. and was called off about three hours later.
The river is tidal in the area where the shark was spotted, and so it's not uncommon for saltwater fish to be found in the mouth. A few years ago, a beluga whale swam as far up the river as Newburyport, which is about a mile upriver from the mouth. Seals have been known to swim five or more miles upriver, in pursuit of fish.
