Great White Shark Tracked off Cape Cod

A great white shark named Katharine was tracked in Cape Cod waters on Tuesday and Wednesday, shark researchers say.

The 2,300 pound and 14-foot-long shark was near the town pier on Tuesday afternoon and in the harbor near Great Island on Wednesday afternoon, Cape Cod Times reported.

There have been sightings of great white sharks in Cape Cod Bay in the past, but this is the first shark to be tracked in the area.

Katharine is tracked by shark researchers with electronic tracking devices. When the shark surfaces, researchers are able to track her location. Researchers have tracked Katharine for over 8,100 miles since August 2013, the Times reported.

Shark expert Greg Skomal said a growing number of great white sharks have been visiting the western shore of Cape Cod due to the growing seal population, the Boston Globe reported.

Great white sharks are typically found in the waters near the largest gray seal colony in the U.S., the Monomoy islands off Chatham. Katharine’s travels could mean that Chatham is becoming too crowded and she was looking for new hunting grounds, according to the Times.

Shark experts have been tagging sharks to figure out the great white population in the area, the Globe reported.

Two kayakers were attacked by a great white shark off the coast of Plymouth last month.

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