Great White Sharks Descend on Cape Cod For Summer

We all may need a bigger boat—great white sharks have returned for the summer off the coast of Cape Cod.

In late June, a great white was captured close to the Provincetown shore eating a seal and two more great whites were tagged to the south:

And so far in July, a 6-year-old boy hooked a great white hooked a great white shark in Cape Cod Bay; the shark was cut free. Three more great whites were spotted on the eastern edge of the Cape. Another shark that was rescued from a beaching in Chatham last year was recently spotted swimming near the Cape.

Great white sharks have a well-documented summertime presence in Cape Cod waters. Sightings have “surged” in the last few years, according to federal researchers.

The last great white attack on a human in Massachusetts was in 2012, when a great white bit a man on the leg off the coast of Truro. The man survived and kept his leg.

There was a close call in September 2014, when a great white chomped a kayak with two women aboard. They were not hurt.

In 1916, a shark killed four people and seriously injured a fifth off the New Jersey coast—providing the inspiration for “Jaws,” which was filmed on Martha's Vineyard.

There are about a dozen types of sharks that migrate to New England waters starting in May and June, according to state officials. Great whites capture the most interest—drawing tourists and launching expedition outfits.

Massachusetts officials last year announced new rules for companies involved in activities that attract great whites, including cage diving.

“It is likely that the seasonal presence of these white sharks will continue and, as a result, so will the public interest in interacting with these sharks,” the Division of Marine Fisheries said in a statement. “This is problematic because it puts both the sharks and public safety at risk. Accordingly, Marine Fisheries has implemented this new permitting requirement.”

By the way, this week is Discovery's annual "Shark Week."

Photo credit: Atlantic White Shark Conservancy