The Perfect Response to East Coast Shark Sighting

— -- Swimmers at one of the East Coast’s most beautiful beaches faced a scare Monday after a great white shark was spotted about 75 yards offshore.

The shark shut down Duxbury Beach in Massachusetts, sending swimmers out of the water. A police helicopter spotted the great white – estimated 12 to 14-feet long – just outside the buoys for swimmers.

“When it is that close to the coast, we’d rather be safe than sorry,” Massachusetts State Police Trooper Dustin Fitch said.

Back on the shore, a message was etched in the sand: “You’re gonna need a bigger boat,” a quote from the movie “Jaws.”

Monday’s shark sighting follows other shark sightings off of Cape Cod during the past week. Shark sightings are up this summer, and concern is heightened as beach goers flock to the coasts during a busy vacation weekend and the ensuing Labor Day weekend.

Those sharks are being tracked by the non-profit OCEARCH, with the sharks represented on an online map with orange and blue dots. According to OCEARCH, five shark sightings have been recorded in the past 24 hours along the United States’ eastern coastline, and another shark spotted in the Gulf of Mexico.