A hammerhead shark
An unusual species of shark -- at least for Cape Cod -- was spotted earlier this month in Massachusetts waters.
The Atlantic White Shark conservancy shared photos of the shark in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, last week indicating that the animal was seen near Monomoy Island, which is off the coast of Chatham.
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"Wow! What an incredible (and rare) smooth hammerhead sighting off Monomoy Island on Saturday, July 20th!," the agency said. "Thank you, L. Bovenzi for sharing with us! We may be a white shark organization but we will always appreciate a special shark sighting :)"
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Hammerhead shark sightings are less common than great white shark sightings off Cape Cod, but this isn't the first time they've been spotted here. According to The Boston Globe, a hammerhead was sighted at a Nantucket beach back in 2022.
Hammerhead sharks are actually a group of 10 different sharks known for the unusual and distinctive form of their heads. They range in size from about 3-20 feet and can weigh up to 1,500 lbs.
Interactive map of recent shark sightings
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