KAILUA-KONA — Kua Bay is closed after two reported shark sightings Friday morning in waters off North Kona.
The closure at Maniniowali Beach, also known as Kua Bay at Kekaha Kai State Park, took effect at 11:30 a.m., according to the state Department of Land and Natural Resources Department of Conservation and Resources Enforcement.
The first sighting was in Kukio Bay, where a kayaker reported an aggressive tiger shark bumped the kayak.
Later that morning, a visitor saw and photographed a shark in the surf line at Kua Bay. That photo was shared with park groundskeepers who then notified the DOCARE office.
The beach will remain closed pending a re-evaluation this morning for any shark presence, before park officials reopen the beach to the public.
The sighting comes 10 days after what could be one of the largest great white sharks ever recorded was spotted off Oahu feeding on a sperm whale carcass. However, it was unclear if the shark was the famed Deep Blue, thought to be the largest great white ever recorded.
Unlike the great white, tiger sharks are common in Hawaiian waters.