NH beach reopens after report of 2 sharks

RYE, N.H. (WHDH) -- Wallis Sands State Beach reopened Tuesday after a lifeguard reported seeing two sharks off the coast of Rye, N.H. on Monday afternoon.

Swimmers were told to clear the water after the sharks were spotted. The beach was initially shut down again Tuesday morning before reopening around 10 a.m., which was good news for families who said a trip to the beach wouldn’t have been complete without a dip in the water.

“It’s New Hampshire, it’s the coast, it’s the beach! It’s part of coming. Trying to keep these guys on the beach in ankle-deep water is not going to happen,” said Melanie Seibert, a beach goer.

“I love to swim. My parents call me the fish and my mom thinks I’m half mermaid,” said Emma Buckley, a beach goer.

On Monday, a gorgeous day at the beach quickly turned tense when a lifeguard spotted two 6-foot sharks at the beach. The New Hampshire Marine Patrol surveyed the water near Wallis Sands State each after the animals were spotted.

“We had the police boat come in navigate, the helicopters come and look, they decided for people's safety to keep us out the rest of the day,” Maura Pitman, a beach goer.

While they have no photos of the sharks, the New England Aquarium is guessing because of the time of year and location, these beach visitors were blue sharks.

The sharks in New Hampshire were spotted just after a photo of a kayaker on Cape Cod made headlines worldwide. The photo shows Walter Szulc being stalked by a great white shark near Orleans, Mass.

“If this is it, this is it. It’s in the shark’s hands,” said Szulc. “I didn’t get away from the shark, he let me get away.”

The sightings along the New England coastline are plentiful. Last week a fisherman captured video of a shark off the coast of Chatham, Mass.

After the sightings in New Hampshire, some say they will stay firmly planted on the beach.

“Being on the sand is fine by me,” said Laura Buckley, a beach goer.