NANTUCKET – The Cape and Islands are getting its first signs of white shark activity for the season after a family watched one seal get attacked off of Nantucket.
The seal managed to get onto the beach but succumbed to its wounds, with New England Aquarium scientists saying its consistent with white shark feeding.
“This is the time of year when we like to remind people to be ‘shark smart’ as white sharks return to the inshore waters of New England, where they’ll hunt seals and other prey through the summer and into the fall,” said John Chisolm, adjunct scientist in the Aquarium’s Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life.
“Shark smart,” Chisholm says, means being aware of sharks’ presence in shallow waters, avoiding areas where seals are present or schools of fish are visible, and staying close to shore where emergency responders can reach you if needed.
Great Whites have been reported in increasing numbers off the coasts of Cape Cod in recent years, with the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy’s app providing a notification when tagged sharks are spotted in the area, as well as any associated beach closures.
The app can be found here.
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