The shark in the Taunton River early Wednesday night was big but not nearly as fearsome as some initially thought.Dighton Harbormaster Ronald Marino said he jumped into his 17-foot powerboat after getting a call at 6:30 p.m. from Dighton police that a shark had been sighted near the water’s surface, the Taunton Gazette reported. Marino, who has been harbormaster for 20 years, said he was able to get fairly close to the big fish, which he estimated was 10 to 12 feet long. He put its location at 100 yards west of red nun buoy No. 20.After conducting some Internet research, he concluded it had been a sand tiger shark.Marino speculated the shark, which reaches a length of about 10 feet, had been attracted by schools of bait fish in the river.“He was flailing around for about half an hour -- I think he got caught on a sandbar,” Marino said.When the tide came in, he said the shark managed to free itself and swim into the river’s channel. But Marino said he couldn’t tell which way the fish went.“He went under, and that’s the last we saw of him,” said Marino, who also noted he’d spoken last week to Somerset’s harbormaster — who informed him of a report a shark in the section of Taunton River that flows past his town.

The shark in the Taunton River early Wednesday night was big but not nearly as fearsome as some initially thought.

Dighton Harbormaster Ronald Marino said he jumped into his 17-foot powerboat after getting a call at 6:30 p.m. from Dighton police that a shark had been sighted near the water’s surface, the Taunton Gazette reported.


Marino, who has been harbormaster for 20 years, said he was able to get fairly close to the big fish, which he estimated was 10 to 12 feet long. He put its location at 100 yards west of red nun buoy No. 20.

After conducting some Internet research, he concluded it had been a sand tiger shark.

Marino speculated the shark, which reaches a length of about 10 feet, had been attracted by schools of bait fish in the river.

“He was flailing around for about half an hour -- I think he got caught on a sandbar,” Marino said.

When the tide came in, he said the shark managed to free itself and swim into the river’s channel. But Marino said he couldn’t tell which way the fish went.

“He went under, and that’s the last we saw of him,” said Marino, who also noted he’d spoken last week to Somerset’s harbormaster — who informed him of a report a shark in the section of Taunton River that flows past his town.