KAILUA-KONA — A large tiger shark spotted Thursday morning in waters off Laaloa Beach Park, also known as Magic Sands, prompted the closure of the popular ocean recreation site for several hours.
At around 7:30 a.m., a 12- to 15-foot tiger shark was spotted swimming in waters about 20 yards offshore. The shark also attacked a sea turtle before swimming south. Signs warning beachgoers of the danger and cautioning them not to enter the water were subsequently posted.
“A shark that big is really dangerous in itself,” said Hawaii Fire Department Water Safety Officer Mikihana Minamishin, who was lifeguarding the beach. “But for it to be aggressive like that and attack a turtle raises some red flags. For everyone else’s safety we try to keep the beach closed and keep people from swimming out there.”
Despite the signage and warnings, some beachgoers still attempted to swim or play in the water. Minamishin said that makes the job of a lifeguard a lot more stressful.
“People do not understand that we are just here to keep people safe,” said Minamishin. “A lot of people, especially if they do not see the shark, they think that it is not a big deal. They think it is not a big deal because sharks are out there all the time. While that may be true, it is important to know that they can be unpredictable creatures. You never know when they will decide to attack somebody.
“Beachgoers being out in the water does not only put them in danger, it also puts us in danger. If they were to get bit, we would have to be the ones to go out and get them. That would put us in harm’s way.”
But, some of the beachgoers were compliant, including Eric Levine, a visitor from Portland, Oregon.
“When we got here, we saw the shark signs and the lifeguards making some announcements about a shark in the water,” he said. “They said it would be a couple of hours until they would be able to clear the beach. The kids like to get in the water a little bit, so we have been keeping an eye on them. We are trying to make sure that they stay out of the deeper waters. … As a parent, I am always worrying about something on some level. … There is a little bit of extra tension, but it is part of the realm of being a parent.”
The Hawaii Fire Department said it received a call from a Hawaii Police Department officer who was having breakfast at Magic Sands when he saw the shark and captured it on video. West Hawaii Today was unable to reach the officer as of press time Thursday.
After receiving the report, a Hawaii Fire Department helicopter did a fly-over of the area, but saw no sign of the shark. A second flight a couple of hours later also turned up no sign of the fish, and the beach was reopened.