OWEN HOWSON / SPECIAL TO THE STAR-BULLETIN A 6- to 8-foot-long hammerhead shark, seen here Monday at Kamaole Beach, had been spotted at South Maui beaches. It was found dead Thursday morning, entangled in abandoned fishing nets. The animal had apparently been sick.

Maui shark found dead

KIHEI, Maui » A hammerhead shark that had been swimming close to shore forcing the shutdown of miles of beaches was found dead yesterday morning in South Maui.

Maui County lifeguards found the dead shark entangled in an illegal abandoned fishing net in waters off Cove Park in Kihei, said state aquatics education specialist Russell Sparks.

Sparks said he received a call shortly after 8 a.m. yesterday informing him about the dead shark.

He said county lifeguards dragged the shark to shore and left it at Kamaole Beach Park I, where public works employees picked it up and disposed of it at the landfill.

OWEN HOWSON / SPECIAL TO THE STAR-BULLETIN A crowd gathered Monday at Maui's Kamaole Beach Park to observe the hammerhead shark, estimated at 6 to 8 feet long, swim close to shore. It had been spotted up and down the South Maui shoreline in the past few days.

Since Sunday the shark had been swimming close to shore up and down several miles of South Maui resort coastline, prompting lifeguards to close beaches to ocean users.

It had been seen as far south as Ulua Beach in Wailea on Wednesday and as far north as Cove Park in Kihei yesterday.

Kamaole Beach Parks I, II and III were closed Monday morning after the hammerhead was seen swimming within a few feet of the shoreline for 20 to 25 minutes, drawing a large crowd of onlookers.

Keawakapu was closed Sunday morning and Kamaole I was closed Sunday evening after the shark was seen swimming in those areas.

State and county aquatic officials said although they know hammerheads give birth in South Maui waters, they had never seen a shark comes as close to shore.