Rare Hammerhead, Whale Sharks Seen Off Cape Cod Coast

CHATHAM, MA — Shark alert! No, it's not a great white this time. Instead, two species rare this far north were spotted off the coast of Cape Cod.

Fisherman over the weekend were treated with hammerhead and whale shark sightings.

On Saturday, a bass fisherman, spotted a hammerhead shark Saturday just a half-mile off the coast of Monomoy. Fisherman Peter Bishop told the Cape Cod Times the shark was swimming in only 5 to 10 feet of water.

"It was a real thrill," Bishop told the Times. "I've seen a lot of different sea life, including a couple of killer whales, and this is right up there.

Cape Codders on an overnight fishing trip out of Harwich on Sunday were also treated with a rare sighting — a whale shark.

A group of eight locals were about 100 miles off the coast of Cape Cod, when they were awoken by a swordfish on their line. And 45 minutes later, a whale shark swam right to the side of their 63-foot fishing vessel, the crew told the Boston Herald.

Fisherman Nick Koeniger estimated the shark was about 25-30 feet in length.

Whale sharks are the world's largest shark, and despite their intimidating size, they are no threat to humans. They feed on plankton and don't have the ability to bite.

Typically, hammerheads, whale sharks and other warm weather species, like bull and tiger sharks, avoid the chilly waters of New England. Unlike great white sharks, hammerheads and other warm water species cannot regulate their body temperature by generating heat.

But according to the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries, there's been more sightings of warmer weather species because of rising water temperatures over the last few years.