Shark sighting closes portion of beach
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 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.
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Big Beach closure due to shark sighting
Big Beach at Makena State Park was closed for about two hours Saturday afternoon, following a shark sighting by a Maui County lifeguard, the state Department of Land and Natural Resources reported.
The lifeguard was swimming three to six yards offshore when he noticed a gray shark following him, according to Deborah Ward, department spokeswoman. She said the lifeguard left the water, and lifeguards closed the beach and its waters at about 3 p.m., although the park remained open.
Shark warning signs were posted and beachgoers were told to stay out of the water. DLNR enforcement officers responded to help monitor the waters for two hours. When there was no additional sighting of a shark during those two hours, the beach was reopened at about 5 p.m.
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Damage to storage shed in half-acre fire
A brush fire in Honokohau Valley on Sunday scorched a storage shed, causing $500 in damage before the fire was extinguished at 5:39 p.m., a fire official said.
A half-acre of brush burned, with the fire reaching as close as 15 feet to three homes, said Fire Services Chief Lee Mainaga. He said no homes were damaged, although occupants were evacuated.
The location of the fire, reported at 2:04 p.m., was about one-eighth of a mile into the valley on the left hand side.
