Visitor Injured in Apparent Shark Bite at Kaua‘i’s Keoneloa Bay

Maui Now.

Ocean Safety personnel on Kauaʻi have closed Keoneloa Bay to swimming after a 29-year-old male visitor was apparently bitten by a shark while body boarding at around 8 a.m. on Thursday, April 19, 2018.

The man sustained non-life threatening injuries to his leg and was transported by a private vehicle to seek medical care.

Lifeguards have posted “Shark Sighted” and “No Swimming” signs along Keoneloa Bay and are patroling the shoreline to warn surfers and beachgoers to stay out of the water until further notice.

As part of standard protocol, the state Department of Land and Natural Resources was notified of the incident. Lifeguards will reassess the water Friday morning to determine if it is safe for swimming.

This is the second reported shark incident in 2018.  That was on March 31, 2018 at Kūki‘o Beach in North Kona on Hawai‘i Island when a stand-up paddle boarder was bitten by a 12-foot shark.  The individual sustained severe lacerations to their right forearm and hand, and lost their right leg below knee as a result of the incident, according to information compiled by the DLNR Division of Aquatic Resources.

Brown Water Advisory Remains In Effect for Kauaʻi

A Brown Water Advisory remains in effect, Island wide on Kaua‘i, except for the area from Keoniloa Bay to ‘Sheraton’ Beach.  The state Department of Health, Clean Water Branch says recent rains have resulted in storm water runoff entering into coastal waters. The public is advised to stay out of flood waters and storm water runoff due to possible overflowing cesspools, sewer, manholes, pesticides, animal fecal matter, dead animals, pathogens, chemicals, and associated flood debris. Not all coastal areas may be impacted by runoff, however, if the water is brown stay out.

‘Ahihi-Kina‘u on Maui Remains Closed Until April 23 Due to Continued Presence of Sharks

On Maui, the ʻĀhihi-Kīnaʻu Natural Area Reserve has been closed intermittently since March 28th due to “multiple large sharks” which were seen continuously swimming close to shore. The reserve, located on Maui’s south shore will remain closed until at least Monday, April 23, 2018 due to the continued presence of sharks at the popular snorkeling destination.

Carl Meyer of the University of Hawaiʻi reportedly told the DLNR Division of Aquatic  Resources that he thinks tiger sharks are following pupping black tip reef sharks inside the breakers. The DLNR Divisions of Aquatic Resources, Forestry and Wildlife and Conservation and Resources Enforcement, collectively agreed to the closure to keep ocean users safe from inadvertent interactions with large and potentially dangerous sharks.