Sharks have started to return to the Cape and Islands for the summer.
Massachusetts' first white shark sighting of the season was confirmed Monday, Memorial Day, by the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy. The animal, also known as the great white shark, was spotted near the Great Point Lighthouse on Nantucket on Sunday.
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The conservancy's Twitter page shared a local's video capturing a white shark eating a seal just off the beach.
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With shark season arriving -- though not expected to peak until late summer and early fall -- the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy is encouraging locals to share their shark sighting videos through their Sharktivity app.
Listen to our free podcast, "Shark Tales," which explores the world of sharks in New England with our partners at the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy. It's on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.
This summer, the New England Aquarium is working with the conservancy to analyze video gathered with the app, which allows people to send video of shark sightings to the experts, since many sightings reported to the app aren't white sharks.
There are a number things being done to keep beachgoers on the Cape safe, including urging them to not wade into outer waters over their waist. White sharks in the region spend about half their time in water that's under 15 feet deep, experts say.
Sharks flock to New England's waters following seals, which they eat. Purple flags warning of sharks in the area have become commonplace as lifeguards help beachgoers coexist with the predators, which rarely attack people.
The last deadly shark attack in New England was in Maine in July 2020.
