Popham Beach in Phippsburg, Maine reopened Thursday morning after state officials alerted beachgoers of a confirmed shark sighting just one day prior.
The white shark sighting was reported at 5:20 p.m. on Wednesday, according to an alert from the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation, and Forestry.
Department officials warned Popham Beach State Park visitors of the sighting Wednesday at 6:09 p.m., NBC affiliate News Center Maine reported. The alert stated that the beach's water access would be closed Wednesday evening, and will reopen the following morning at 9 a.m.
The sighting comes after several white sharks were tracked off Maine's coast this season, including a 12-foot adult male that was detected earlier this month in the waters of Casco Bay -- near the site of Maine's only known deadly shark attack that occurred back in 2020.
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On July 17, the Maine Department of Marine Resources issued a statement reminding beachgoers to take preventative measures to ensure their safety from sharks, such as staying close to shore and limiting splashing if they choose to swim.
While shark attacks are rare, "risk should always be minimized when possible in any activity in the water," the department said.
Maine shark sightings can be reported to the state Department of Marine Resources here.
