Shark sighting shuts down swimming at Biddeford beaches

Great White Shark Sighting Closes Swimming at Biddeford Beaches

BIDDEFORD — A great white shark was spotted near the shores of Biddeford on Thursday, prompting officials to prohibit swimming in parts of the coastline for the remainder of the day.

The sighting occurred in the waters near Granite Point and Timber Point, according to Alisha Keezer, the Waterfront Coordinator for Biddeford Parks and Recreation. Swimming has been barred between Fortunes Rocks Beach and Biddeford Pool while the situation is assessed.

Lifeguards have posted the purple marine life flag at affected beaches, signaling to visitors that potentially dangerous marine life may be in the area. Keezer and the parks department urged beachgoers to check in with lifeguards before entering the water, stay alert to their surroundings, and follow any instructions issued by staff.

The department said it will continue to monitor conditions in the waters surrounding Biddeford beaches.

Thursday's sighting is the latest in a series of shark encounters reported along the Maine coast in recent weeks. On Wednesday, a shark was spotted near Wells, leading to a temporary beach closure there as well. Last week, a sighting was reported near Reid State Park in Georgetown, and two more sightings occurred off Scarborough, including an incident in which a lifeguard was briefly dragged underwater after a shark grabbed hold of his rescue torpedo.

The increase in sightings comes during peak beach season in southern Maine, drawing renewed attention to interactions between sharks and swimmers along the region's coastline.