State will seal off shark from boaters
The state Division of Marine Fisheries today will block off a large swath of sea near where a great white shark is circling to prevent growing hordes of boaters from interfering with its escape to open water.
Despite attempts yesterday to lure the 1,700-pound predator away from a Naushon Island lagoon with bait, the 14-foot female showed no interest in leaving its eight-day home in the Elizabeth Island chain near Woods Hole.
While great white sharks make almost yearly appearances in New England waters, they are usually farther from shore, and glimpses of the animals are usually fleeting.
''We would prefer the shark to leave on its own," said Paul Diodati, commissioner of marine fisheries. ''But we are now trying to encourage it."
First, boats tried leading the shark down one of two possible exits from the lagoon with bait, but it ignored them and continued its habitual circling.
Then, after scientists realized the shark avoided areas where the boat's propellers kicked up sediment, they tried making more sediment clouds with bags of limestone. But the heavy rains had already made the water fairly turbid, and the shark stayed put.
Researchers want the shark to get to open water so they can track it with a monitoring device. They are growing increasingly worried by what Diodati said have been hundreds of people clamoring to glimpse the animal.
At one point in the last few days, there were three groups of about a dozen boaters each near the area.
Although an environmental police officer is posted near the shark, Diodati says that if the shark does leave, it could run into the boaters near one of the exits.
''Some people are fairly belligerent about it," he said.
''We are willing to give the shark as much time as we need, but we need the cooperation of the general public. So we are going to step up and have a widespread closure in the area."
The closures will be posted on a website: http://www.mass.gov/dfwele/dmf/ marinefisheriesnotices/white_shark.htm
Beth Daley 