A large great white shark was spotted Monday off the coast of Duxbury Beach in Massachusetts, prompting officials to kick hundreds of swimmers out of the water.
Beachgoers were allowed back in the water a few hours later,
CBS Boston reported, after the shark was observed moving away from the area, although the harbormaster advised that swimmers going into the water "should do so cautiously and avoid going into the water beyond waist depth."
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Officials have stepped up patrols to keep an eye out in case the 12- to 15-foot great white shark decides to return. It was initially
spotted about 100 yards offshore, Weather.com reported.
The shark was the "biggest we've seen this year,"
Duxbury Fire Chief Kevin Nord told the Boston Globe.
Another great white shark was seen two days earlier near Wellfleet beach, the Globe said, but it was estimated to be slightly smaller at 12 to 14 feet.
Amy Mahler, a spokeswoman for the Department of Fish and Game, told the Globe that Duxbury was an unusual place to see sharks, but said that plentiful food could be the reason they've been spotted more often than usual this summer in the waters off Massachusetts.
"With the increase in protection over marine mammals in the past 40 years, the gray seal population has rebounded," she said. "As a result, there is strong evidence to suggest that great white sharks have increased their predatation on these animals."
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