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A couple spearfishing Tuesday afternoon 100 yards from shore at Makena Beach were approached by a large shark, the Maui Fire Department said in a news release.
The man and woman were spearfishing on the north end of Big Beach when they were approached by an 8- to 10-foot Galapagos shark, which behaved aggressively, the fire department said.
“The shark circled the freedivers and their dive float, and eventually took their catch of fish,” the fire department said in its news release.
The couple said the shark continued to circle them, so they abandoned the float and returned to shore. The shark continued to follow them to the beach.
Maui County lifeguards closed Makena State Park at 4 p.m. Tuesday after the shark was spotted just before 4 p.m.
Lifeguards used rescue watercraft to inform beachgoers of the shark sighting and the beach closure.
A Division of Conservation and Resource Enforcement officer arrived at 4:45 p.m.
The beach was reopened at 6:30 p.m.
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