Cape Cod shark researchers have reported the first confirmed great white shark sighting of the season, as more eyeballs were on the water for the unofficial start of summer.
A group on Nantucket got a front-row seat to a white shark attacking and devouring a seal off Great Point, where there’s a large seal colony that attracts the apex predators.
The white shark chomping on the seal on Sunday was the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy’s first confirmed sighting of the season, according to Massachusetts-based shark expert John Chisholm, who is with the New England Aquarium and who has been tracking shark sightings for many years.
“We’ve had a couple of other unconfirmed sightings, but this is the first one where we actually got to see the shark,” said Chisholm, who is now a local citizen science coordinator responsible for verifying shark sighting reports made by the public through the Sharktivity app.
“We know definitively that it’s a white shark,” added Chisholm, who runs the “MA Sharks” Twitter account.
Great whites coming to the Cape ahead of the official start of summer is not early, he noted.
“Everything is unfolding right on schedule,” Chisholm said. “This first sighting is probably more dramatic than in past years because it was witnessed by so many people and captured on video, but it’s right on schedule.”
The video of the shark predation event shows just how close the apex predators get to the shore, he added.
“They’re after the seals, so they’ll get really close to shore,” Chisholm said. “The more people who know that, the better. We want to make sure everyone is aware of that.”
The Atlantic White Shark Conservancy and the New England Aquarium are partnering on an initiative that encourages residents and visitors to report shark sightings off Cape Cod through the Conservancy’s Sharktivity app. The Conservancy is contracting the Aquarium to employ Chisholm as the local citizen science coordinator.
Sharktivity provides information and push notifications for alerts about white shark sightings, detections and movements. The app sightings are input by researchers, safety officials and users who upload photos for confirmation.
By enabling app users to report shark sightings and upload photos, the Conservancy is gathering information on where sharks are spotted to minimize encounters and promote safety.
Both Chisholm through his MA Sharks Twitter account and the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy over the weekend reminded people to use the Sharktivity app to report white shark sightings.
“We want people to get familiar with using the app, and to get as quick a response as possible after these sightings,” Chisholm said.
“The hope is if we get sightings quickly, especially near beaches, then we can notify the communities that are impacted, the beach patrol, the lifeguards,” he added. “And the faster we get the information, the faster we get it out there, providing some public safety information and awareness.”
The Atlantic White Shark Conservancy also urged people heading to the beach to be “Shark Smart” and follow safety guidelines. Those precautions include: Be aware that sharks hunt for seals in shallow water; stay close to shore where rescuers can reach you; don’t isolate yourself; avoid areas where seals are present; stay away from spots where schools of fish are visible; avoid murky water; and limit splashing.
Remember, please use the @sharktivity app to report your shark sightings!#CitizenScience @A_WhiteShark @CenterOceanLife @NEAQ @MassDFG https://t.co/7VudUC116F
— MA Sharks 🦈 (@MA_Sharks) May 30, 2022
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May 31, 2022 at 05:41AM
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Great white shark attacks seal off Nantucket, the first Atlantic White Shark Conservancy confirmed shark sighting of the season - Boston Herald
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