After dozens of witnesses saw a shark attack a sea turtle, Maui County ocean safety officers closed a portion of Kanaha Beach Park on Monday afternoon.
About 40 people saw a shark chase and attack a sea turtle around 3:30 p.m., officials said. A mile-long section of the beach from Kite Beach to the Kahului Airport runway was closed at 3:30 p.m. and was expected to remain off limits until 5:30 p.m., unless lifeguards determine otherwise.
Bystanders took pictures of the shark that show it to be about 10- to 12-feet long, judging by the size of its fin, officials said.
The sea turtle remained alive, although it sustained lacerations to its right-front fin. It was taken to the Maui office of the state Department of Land and Natural Resources.
On Thursday morning at Kanaha Beach Park, a stand-up paddle boarder reported that a 6- to 8-foot shark bit his board when he was about 300 yards off Kite Beach, also known as Kaa Point. The man was uninjured, but officials closed the beach area for more than a day.
