Shark Rescue In Cape Cod Bay

PROVINCETOWN, MA — An 18-foot basking shark was rescued in Cape Cod Bay Thursday after crews cut it free from fishing gear that it became tangled in. The shark was "severely incapacitated" but may recover, according to the Provincetown-based Center for Coastal Studies. The center has a special team devoted to the frequent shark and whale entanglements in the region.

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Adult basking sharks can grow up to 30 feet and 5 tons. They are often mistaken for great white sharks but are relatively harmless, as they do not have teeth and primarily feed of plankton. They have enormous, 3-foot mouths. They are the second-largest shark, behind the whale shark.

The center said a charter fisherman came across the tangled shark outside Provincetown Harbor and reported it to the center's emergency hotline. A crew of rescuers was dispatched and team members found the shark with rope wrapped around its head. They were able to cut the shark free.

The center encourages boaters who come across tangled marine life to contact their entanglement hotline at 1-800-900-3622 or the US Coast Guard on VHF 16, and to stand by a safe distance until rescue crews arrive.

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Lead photo: This basking shark was rescued in Cape Cod Bay June 8, 2017 after it became tangled in fishing gear. (Credit: Center for Coastal Studies)