IPSWICH, Mass. – After a string of surprising shark sightings off Crane Beach in Ipswich in the fall of 2024, The Trustees of Reservations has put in place several measures that focus on visitor and staff safety.
“The safety of our visitors and staff is our top priority,” said Trustees Property Director Chris Moore. “We have worked diligently in preparation for the summer beach season with local public safety officials, marine biologists, and state wildlife officials to put in place staff training and several safety protocols in the event sharks return to Crane Beach this year.”
In September 2024, multiple juvenile Great White Sharks were sighted off Crane Beach as an oceanic upwelling caused water temperatures to drop 10 degrees, forcing bait fish to move closer to shore. The sharks, attracted to the bait fish, then began to appear just off Crane Beach. This prompted a water closure of several weeks at the popular beach.
As part of the enhanced beach operation protocols, the Ipswich Harbormaster will perform routine patrols of the Crane Beach swim zone during the summer season. Crane Beach’s lifeguard staff will routinely surveil the marked swim zone from their elevated lifeguard chairs and with watercraft.
Crane Beach lifeguards, EMTs, rangers and frontline staff will receive consistent safety and operational training to ensure visitor and staff safety remains the top priority.
If a shark sighting is suspected, visitors will be asked to exit the water until public safety personnel can determine if a shark is present. If a sighting is confirmed, it will prompt a water closure. Working with the Ipswich Police Department and Harbormaster, Trustees staff will do a thorough patrol of the swimming area and determine when it is safe to reopen the water.
Crane Beach staff, along with Ipswich Police Department and marine biologists, will be installing at least one shark detection buoy in the area where sharks were confirmed to be present in 2024. The buoy, along with Trustees staff trained to watch for sharks from shore, and Ipswich Harbormaster patrols in the water, will be the primary monitoring methods during the summer beach season. Crane Beach will be partnering with Greg Skomal, marine biologist with the Massachusetts Shark Research Project, to share any data gathered this summer.
In the event of a public safety emergency related to shark activity, additional resources will be deployed to ensure beachgoers are safe.
Crane is no longer using Twitter or X for real time updates. All operational updates, including parking, safety, and greenheads, will be posted to the Crane Beach voicemail in real time. All guests may call the Crane Beach information line at 978-356-4354 to listen to a recorded message or email cranebeach@thetrustees.org for information.
For more information on Crane Beach, go to www.thetrustees.org/cranebeach
About The Trustees
Founded by landscape architect Charles Eliot in 1891, The Trustees has, for over 130 years, been a catalyst for important ideas, endeavors, and progress in Massachusetts. As a steward of distinctive and dynamic places of both historic and cultural value, The Trustees is the nation’s first preservation and conservation organization, and its landscapes and landmarks continue to inspire discussion, innovation, and action today as they did in the past. We are a nonprofit, supported by members, friends and donors and our 124 sites are destinations for residents, members, and visitors alike, welcoming millions of guests annually. www.thetrustees.org.
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