Great White Shark Detected Off Cape Cod

CHATHAM, MA — Great white sharks have arrived back in Cape Cod waters with the start of summer only a week away. A great white nicknamed "Scratchy" was recently detected near Chatham, according to the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy. The sighting follows the discovery last year of the first-ever great white shark nursery off Montauk, New York. The sharks swim to Cape Cod in the summer to feed on seals.

Last year was another busy one for great white shark sightings on the Cape. On Sunday, August 13, Lighthouse Beach in Chatham was closed after a great white shark was seen eating a seal nearby. On Friday, Aug. 5, Truro beaches were closed as six great whites fed on a dead minke whale nearby. In July, boaters credited an app for alerting them to a great white swimming alongside their boat — and a 6-year-old boy actually hooked a great white in Cape Cod Bay (The shark was cut free.).

Shark attacks on humans are extremely rare — the odds are about one in 12 million. Most shark attack victims survive; bites on humans by sharks are normally exploratory.

Related:

• Boy Catches Great White Shark In Cape Cod Bay
• First-Ever Great White Shark Nursery Found South Of Cape Cod
• App Alerts Boaters To Great White Shark On Cape Cod

Photo: A great white shark nicknamed "Scratchy" detected off the coast of Cape Cod in June 2017. (Credit: Atlantic White Shark Conservancy)