A great white shark near Chatham in 2017
VINEYARD HAVEN – A great white shark was recently detected near Martha’s Vineyard, which is earlier than usual for Cape Cod shark activity according to one expert.
The OCEARCH Global Shark Tracker showed the over 10-foot long female shark Andromache was recently in Vineyard Sound near Aquinnah on May 4.
Another ping went off on May 13 but the tracker did not give enough necessary data to show the shark’s exact location.
In a recent Boston Herald article, OCEARCH Chief Scientist Bob Hueter said that the sub-adult Andromache weighs over 600 pounds and is between 18 and 20 years old, which is close to reaching the age of sexual maturity for great whites in the Atlantic.
Hueter told the Herald that Andromache is in the region earlier than usual and will be around the Cape through the summer.
According to Hueter, data from previous years shows the shark spends time by Nantucket and Chatham’s Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge.
The name Andromache comes from Greek mythology where the character represents a symbol of strength, courage, and maternity.
By Brian Engles, CapeCod.com NewsCenter
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