Sharks Are Back On Cape Cod

CAPE COD, MA — A whale watching group went out over the weekend hoping to capture a view of humpbacks, North Atlantic right whales or other species that occupy Cape Cod.

Though some whale watchers did in fact catch a glimpse of the intended animal, a morning group also watched a less pleasing part of the circle of life.

Dolphin Fleet Whale Watch shared over the weekend that the 10 a.m. Saturday tour saw a great white shark eating a juvenile grey seal on Stellwagen Bank. Video of the encounter was shared on social media.

"The entire event only lasted around 7 minutes from when we first saw the shark quickly break the surface of the water, in what we think was the initial strike, to when the seal was consumed. We estimate the shark was more than 12ft in length," Dolphin Fleet Whale Watch said.

It marks the first confirmed sighting of a great white on Cape Cod this season, likely marking their return to the area for the summer.

The sighting was also marked in the Atlantic White Shark Conversancy app Sharktivity.

While sharks aren't uncommon for the area, an actual predation event like this is rare to see.

"While we have a healthy population of great whites and seals on Cape Cod, predation events like this are not often sighted," officials said. "This is the first time our crew has seen a predation in all of our collective years on the water."

Shark season typically starts in June with a number of them being tagged and monitored by researchers all summer into the early fall.