Shark sightings close beaches along eastern shores

CHATHAM, Mass. – Shark sightings off the eastern coast have beachgoers dealing with some disappointment this holiday weekend.

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All of Orleans' Atlantic Oceans beaches, an area on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, coast will remain closed to swimming throughout the Labor Day weekend, CapeCodTimes.com reports.

And the ban comes after Chatham officials placed a restriction on swimmers at the town’s ocean-facing beaches for the rest of the season due to sharks.

Swimmers are warned to keep aware of their surroundings and stay at least 300 feet from any seals spotted.

Sightings of sharks, including great whites, have increased off Cape Cod in recent years along with an increase in the population of seals, which sharks feed on.

In July, a man was bitten on his legs by a great white shark while swimming of Ballson Beach in Truro, north of Chatam.

Beaches on Cape Cod Bay remain open, MyFoxBoston.com reports.

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The Associated Press contributed to this report.