Reports of sharks swimming close to shore prompted authorities to raise red warning flags at two popular beaches in Aruba early Thursday morning.
Shortly before 8:00 a.m., hotel employees spotted what appeared to be one or more sharks near the beaches by the Hyatt and Costa Linda resorts. Concerned about the potential danger to swimmers, they immediately alerted the police.
Officers from the Beach Police Unit were dispatched to investigate and monitored the water for some time. However, no sharks were spotted during their observations.
The Aruba Mammal Foundation was also contacted to help determine whether the animals seen in the water were sharks or dolphins. Authorities were informed that the animals were not dolphins.
As a precaution, officials decided to raise red warning flags at both beaches to warn visitors of the potential danger. Neither beach was officially closed, but swimmers were advised that entering the water would be at their own risk.
Despite the warnings, several tourists were seen entering the water around 9:00 a.m. No additional shark sightings were reported.
