26 August 2025
Over the past weekend, a large shark was reportedly sighted inshore, specifically along the leeward/northern side of the island.
Marine Enforcement is investigating these reports though no further sightings have been reported since Friday, 22 August 2025. As a precautionary measure, we ask everyone to be extra careful and vigilant when in or near the water.
Here is some important guidance:
- For swimmers: We strongly advise swimmers to stay out of the water, including at James and Rupert’s Bays, until our investigation is complete and a new update is released.
- For mariners and fishermen: Please remain vigilant and report any sightings to Marine Enforcement immediately. Marine Compliance and Enforcement Officer, Kelly Jonas, can be contacted by telephone on 25947 or via email through Kelly.jonas@sainthelena.gov.sh. Be cautious when operating your vessels and avoid close contact with any marine life.
- For everyone: If a shark is spotted, do not approach or interact with it. Instead, please observe from a safe distance and report the details (location, time, and estimated size) to Marine Enforcement or Port Control. Harbour Master, Simon Lee, can be contacted by telephone on 22750 or via email through simon.lee@sainthelena.gov.sh.
Fishers and members of the public are encouraged to discard of fish waste in a responsible manner. For rock fishers, this means ensuring waste is taken and disposed of in a bin inland. For boat fishers, this means discarding fish waste at sea, at least one mile out from the shore.
Discarding fish waste close to the coast can encourage sharks to come closer to the shore to feed on the waste. Where this is done near popular and accessible areas such as James Bay and Rupert’s Bay, it can affect the enjoyment and potentially the safety of recreational activities such as swimming, snorkelling and diving.
The safety of our community is our highest priority, and we will provide further updates as soon as more information is available.