Sharks Spark Cape Cod Swim Ban

Sightings of at least two great white sharks—one 16 feet long—stalking the waters off Cape Cod have triggered a swimming ban at the popular summer tourist spot during one of busiest times of the year. One shark was spotted a half mile from shore; the other was just 50 feet from land. "He was big, and he was close," an aerial spotter told MSNBC.

Now Chatham officials have banned all swimming within 300 feet of seals, and are warning against swimming at dawn and dusk—though beaches currently remain open to sunbathers. Shark sightings have spiked in recent years as the big fish hunt seals off the Chatham coast. Last year, several Chatham beaches were shut due to shark sightings and seal attacks, notes the Springfield Republican. (More Cape Cod stories.)