KAILUA-KONA — Kua Bay is closed after two reported shark sightings Friday morning in north Kona ocean waters.
KAILUA-KONA — Kua Bay is closed after two reported shark sightings Friday morning in north Kona ocean waters.
The closure at Maniniowali Beach, also known as Kua Bay at Kekaha Kai State Park, took effect at 11:30 a.m., according to the DLNR Department of Conservation and Resources Enforcement (DOCARE).
The first sighting was in Kukio Bay where a kayaker reported that an aggressive tiger shark bumped the kayak.
Later that morning, a visitor saw and photographed a shark in the surf line at Kua Bay. That photo was shared with park groundskeepers who then notified the DOCARE office.
The beach will remained closed pending a re-evaluation this morning for any shark presence, before park officials reopen the beach to people.
The sighting comes 10 days after the largest known great white dubbed “Deep Blue” was spotted off Oahu feeding on a sperm whale carcass.
Unlike the great white, tiger sharks are common in Hawaiian waters.
