Oregon State Parks said someone reported seeing dorsal fins, but the fins were seen a distance from shore and that people building sandcastles and wading in shallow water likely had nothing to fear.
Dorsal fins have been seen off the Oregon coast near Cannon Beach, according to the city’s Police Department and Oregon State Parks.
“Be advised, there have been recent sightings of dorsal fin sharks in the Cannon Beach area. State Parks will be posting warning signs on local beaches soon,” the Police Department posted Tuesday on its Facebook page.
Oregon State Parks spokesman Chris Havel said someone, probably a surfer, reported seeing dorsal fins about noon Tuesday. The unconfirmed report came through Seaside Fire and Rescue, he said.
He said the fins were seen a distance from shore and that people building sandcastles and wading in shallow water likely had nothing to fear.
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“People who are paddling in the very shallow water or who are on the beach with their kids don’t have anything to worry about,” Havel said. “Sharks tend to stay way out in the water. It’s surfers and people who are out further that need to pay attention to the warnings.”
Havel said Oregon State Parks posts warnings on the beach but does not manage the water. He said surfers should seek advice from “surfing buddies” and surfing organizations.
“We don’t tell surfers what to do,” he said.
Shark populations have surged in the Pacific Northwest and on the East Coast in recent years due to the availability of prey and conservation efforts.
Last fall, a 29-year-old surfer suffered serious injuries after being bitten by a shark off Ecola State Park, north of Cannon Beach. It was the first recorded shark attack off the Oregon coast since 2013.