Ella Nilsen - Final Shark Write-Up

Ella Nilsen

ENGL 621 – “Relief for Amity”

12/5/11

Amity Island breathed a sigh of relief yesterday as local fisherman caught an 11 foot long, 875 pound nurse shark one mile off the coast of Amity.  Police assured residents that the beaches would re-open for the Fourth of July weekend with continued precautions being taken.

“I am delighted to report that the giant killer shark that has been blamed for two gruesome deaths this week has been caught and killed,” said Police Chief Brody in a press release issued earlier today. “While law enforcement officials urge vigilance on the part of all citizens, we believe we can safely say that the danger of further shark attacks has probably passed.”

Brody noted that shark spotters from the Coast Guard, Marine Patrol, Massachusetts State Police, U.S. Navy, Homeland Security, F.B.I., and local forces should not deter residents from enjoying a weekend at the beach.

“They are simply a safety precaution that we hope will put our visitors at ease

The scene at the docks was one of utter relief and gleeful chaos.  Residents of Amity swarmed around the shark and the fisherman who caught it, Mike Swenson of Merford, MA, holding signs saying ‘Keep Our Beaches Safe.’

The shark, inspected by local marine biologist and shark expert Matt Hooper of the Woods Hole, Mass., Oceanographic Institute, was identified as a nurse shark.

“Nurse sharks are among the most brutal and dangerous of all sharks and have been responsible for hundreds of swimmers’ deaths along the East Coast of the United States,” Brody said.

Brody’s statement, however, contradicts a statement made by marine biologist Hooper. 

When asked when the last reported incidence of a nurse shark attack in the United States, Hooper replied, “There haven’t been any.”

At the first day of the Fourth of July weekend on the beach, a short-lived instance of terror fell over the beach as fins were spotted in the water.  All the residents in the water swam out as fast as they could and the shark spotters moved in.

Luckily, all were unharmed, minus a few minor bruises in the rush of escape. The culprits turned out to be, not terrible sharks, but two twelve-year-old boys, Wayne Winston and Brad Kaplan of Amity.

“He made me do it,” said Winston, pointing to his partner in crime as they faced a startled and bemused police force.

Police have handed the two over to the ‘custody’ of their parents, and the beaches will remain open as shaken residents brush off the incident and continue to enjoy their weekend.