Great white shark sightings are increasing in the area due to the warm weather and increased number of people on the lake.
In the past week, there has been an increase in verified white shark activity off the Bay State, with reports of sharks consuming hooked striped bass from fisherman and chewing seals.
Off Long Island, sharks were also seen consuming a dead humpback whale.
Shark researcher John Chisholm told the Herald that there has undoubtedly been a rise in verified sightings this week.
Chisholm, who verifies shark sightings for the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy’s Sharktivity app, was introduced just in time for the 50th anniversary of Jaws.
Every summer and fall, the top predators visit the Cape to hunt seals. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that shark bites on seals have been reported among the white shark sightings in the past week.
There have been reports of seals being bitten by sharks close to Nantucket’s Great Point and Truro’s Longnook Beach.
Additionally, just 25 yards off the coast, a Provincetown beachgoer saw a shark hunt and devour a seal.
In Cape Cod Bay, a 10-foot shark is said to have stolen a striped bass from a fisherman, according to the Sharktivity app.
Chisholm hopes that as these instances become more frequent, more fisherman will report them.
Additionally, he stated that he wanted to draw attention to the need for striped bass anglers to avoid loitering on the boat’s side. The most dangerous situation is when a shark catches a fish and catches a person at the boat’s side. They must know.
Sharks have been feeding on whale carcasses off the Cape and Islands in previous summers. Off Long Island, some fortunate sharks have been consuming a dead whale in recent days.
We were trying to find pelagic birds for conservation study on our way back from an offshore excursion. When we smelled what we initially believed to be whale breath while the boat was sailing, we pulled over and looked out for a whale, Brian Doherty wrote. As it happens, we discovered a long-dead humpback whale carcass.
The scent grew stronger as we approached, and we discovered that the whale had been bitten in several large places, Doherty continued. Within ten minutes of getting close to the whale carcass, a massive Great White shark showed up and began consuming it. The 15-year-old shark was a fantastic sight to see.
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In the meantime, two white sharks were seen during a whale watch off the Massachusetts North Shore. Approximately ten miles north of Gloucester, the sharks were sighted.
A shark fin was observed by the naturalist of Seven Seas Whale Watch as they were leaving to search for whales. Blue sharks and basking sharks are more common in the Seven Seas.
The whale watch noted that we could tell right away that this shark was neither a basking nor a blue due to the structure of its dorsal fin. It required a closer examination to be positively identified, but we could tell it was either a great white or a short-finned mako, both of which are uncommon. To improve the likelihood that it would remain at the surface, we moved carefully toward it.
It was evident that the shark was a white shark when it entered a calm area of water close to our boat! The whale watch was added. We were ecstatic. In our forty-two years of operation, we have only seen this species a few times. When a second great white joined the first, it was the next major surprise! We were able to obtain a lot of nice views, pictures, and videos because both sharks were swimming in circles at the surface.
Chisholm advises beachgoers to be Shark Smart and be aware of their surroundings when beach activity increases.
