On Saturday, September 3, a 51-year-old female visitor from France was involved in an encounter with a shark in Pā’ia Bay on Maui’s north shore.

She was transported to the hospital and treated for what is described as a “serious bite.”

Personnel from the DLNR Division of Aquatic Resources (DAR) and Maui Ocean Safety Officers put up signs warning people to stay out of the water, one mile on either side of the bay, fronting the basketball courts.

Witnesses reported the water appeared to be murky with low visibility and believe the snorkeler was about 100-feet offshore when the incident occurred.

Normal protocol is to take shark warning signs down at noon, a day after a shark encounter. However, in this case, Maui County decided to close several beach parks thru September 5.