A 10-YEAR-OLD environmentalist is encouraging Islanders not to be scared of sharks after St Ouen’s Bay became the first beach in Jersey to close because of a reported sighting.
Lifeguards cleared the water on Saturday 1 August after a dark grey animal, thought to be about around three metres long, was spotted around 40 metres from the shore.
They raised red flags and asked swimmers and surfers to leave the sea while they checked the area.
One lifeguard even paddled over the animal on a rescue board and said it looked like a shark before it quickly swam away.
A rescue jet ski searched the bay, and one swimmer was helped back to the beach after missing the announcement.
Around an hour later, no sign of the animal could be found, so the beach reopened.
The beach was closed because lifeguards could not immediately identify the species, so they took extra care to keep everyone safe.
After the sighting, 10-year-old environmentalist Dylan Boothman said people should not fear sharks if they are spotted around the Island.
An environmentalist is someone who helps protect the natural world and encourages people to care for wildlife.
Dylan said: “I don’t think we should be at all concerned about sharks being sighted in our waters.
“In fact, any sightings of sharks are to be celebrated, given the huge pressures facing sharks across the world, where many species are threatened with extinction.”
Extinction is when a type of animal or plant disappears forever because none are left alive.
Dylan explained that more than 30 species of sharks and rays have been recorded in Jersey waters.
He said there is no evidence that sharks found in local waters are a danger to people swimming at the beach.
Shark attacks around the world are also extremely rare.
“I do not believe that sharks found in Jersey pose any risk to people and therefore I do not consider it necessary for beaches to be cleared because of a shark sighting,” he added.
Dylan said sharks deserve “respect and admiration” because they are an important part of keeping the ocean healthy.
