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Shark warning signs posted for South Maui beaches and Pounders beach on Oahu

Shark warning signs have now been posted, closing the ocean from Kihei Boat Ramp to Cove Park in South Maui. Shark warning signs have also been posted at Pounder’s Beach in Laie, on Oahu’s North Shore.

Earlier this morning, officials closed two beaches in South Maui — Kamaole Beach Park I and Kamaole Beach Park II — due to a sighting.

Shortly before 8 a.m., the crew aboard the Maui Fire Department’s Air One observed sharks in the area after a report of dead or dying fish in the water from a damaged akule net off of Kamaole Beach Park III over the weekend, officials said. The crew saw at least three, and as many as five, tiger sharks estimated to be at least 15 feet long a few hundreds yards off shore.

Ocean safety officers are patrolling the area — with the help of Maui police officers — to keep people out of the water.

Maui officials said the Valley Isle beaches will remain closed throughout today, with a reassessment of the present of sharks early Tuesday morning.

On Oahu, shark warning signs have been posted at Pounder’s Beach after an 8- to 10-foot shark was sighted offshore at about 10:30 a.m. today.Honolulu Ocean Safety said no one was in the water at the time, while about 20 were on the beach at the time of the sighting.

The signs at Pounder’s are expected to remain up throughout the day.

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