Sharks are returning to Cape Cod. In the last decade, hundreds have been identified. Experts have learned a lot, but there’s still a lot they don’t know about these creatures of the deep.
The Atlantic White Shark Conservancy, with the help of state’s leading expert Greg Skomal, have identified more than 600 sharks, tagging more than half of them.
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“We’ve now got enough data to demonstrate when the sharks arrive, where they spend the bulk of their time, when they leave so we know the seasonality of white sharks in Massachusetts,” Skomal said.
Sharks are difficult animals to track, but researchers say at least a hundred of them come back each year, gathering primarily along the outer Cape. The conservancy hopes to have an estimated population in the coming months.
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”We are really trying to dig into better understand their predatory behavior here because that’s where the key from a public safety’s perspective,” said Megan Winton, a staff scientist with the Conservancy.
Shark season peaks in August, September and October. That’s when drones, acoustic receivers and video camera tags are used to follow the movement and behavior of sharks.
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“A lot of people don’t realize not only that they like to come here and feed on seals in shallow waters off beaches in the summer and fall, but also how close to shore they’re doing that.”
The data collected is available in real-time on things like the Sharktivity app. It’s used to keep beachgoers safe during the long hot summer months. Some have started to modify their behavior because of the research, others not so much.
“They see it, not for the danger that it is. But for the novelty of it,” one man said.
Sharks have been plying the waters off the Cape since forever, so experts say it’s about time we understood them better - for their sake as well as our own.
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.
