newjerseynewsroom.com

BY BOB HOLT

NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM

It may be Shark Week this week on the Discovery Channel, but it’s already been the summer of sharks at many New Jersey beaches this year.

The Asbury Park Press reports that police said they closed Union Beach’s beach Friday after up to three sharks were reported by callers about 1:30 p.m.

Detective Sgt. Michael Woodrow, Cpl. Daniel Royle and Officer Lisa Griffin confirmed they saw at least one shark fin just off the beach, Chief Scott Woolley said.

The Courier Post reports that Woolley said the department contacted the Coast Guard, then the Public Works Department erected "No Swimming" signs along a three-block stretch of beach.

Officers cleared the beach of swimmers and remained until about 3:45 p.m. to keep beachgoers out of the water, Woolley said.

Meanwhile, over in Seaside Heights, the beaches were closed briefly on Saturday after a shark sighting. The incident happened near the area used for the shooting location for "Jersey Shore."

According to myfoxphilly.com, lifeguards spotted the shark near a public area at Seaside Park, which is where a boardwalk is located along with public swimming areas.

Experts told cbs3.com that the shark, which appears to be a juvenile blue shark, is not typically spotted so close to shore.

The six-footer was determined not to stay long, though, as it wiggled its way back into the ocean water and swam away from shore.

"A fisherman caught a fish, was reeling it in and the shark chased after the fish," Melissa Nick of the Seaside Park Beach Patrol explained.

The beach was closed around 2:30 p.m., as the sand shark swan the length of the public area and then left.

Several "Jersey Shore" stars were photographed in the area during the day as they shot scenes for the MTV show.

Notably absent was Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi, who was cited on Friday for disorderly conduct.

Seaside Park beaches had been cleared July 14 when lifeguards spotted two five-foot sharks swimming along the coast.

The incident was the third shark sighting in the past three weeks in the general area.

No one has been injured in the three incidents, where the sharks swam close to enough to shore to cause warnings and the closing of some beaches.

Nbcphiladelphia.com reports that more shark sightings occurred near Ocean Beach on the barrier island of Toms River in the past month.

Seaside Park beach has closed three times this year due to shark sightings.