Juan Chisholm
A seal is seen off Plymouth, Massachusetts, in late April with a fresh white shark bite.
Keynote USA—
Beachgoers may flock to the shores this Memorial Day weekend, but so could great white sharks, which have recently been sighted in New England, Massachusetts scientists warned.
The New England Aquarium in Boston urged the public to keep an eye out for sharks while enjoying the water as the unofficial start of summer begins, the nonprofit organization shared in a news release Thursday.
Aquarium scientists said multiple marine mammals with shark bites were recently discovered off the coast of Massachusetts, according to the release.
White sharks are attracted to New England coastal waters to hunt seals and other marine life during the summer and fall, when activity peaks, the aquarium said in a Facebook post, and scientists expect to see a increase in shark numbers with increasing warmer temperatures.
“Although scientists and fishermen have yet to photograph a white shark this season, we know they are here,” the New England Aquarium said on Facebook. Aquarium officials added that hundreds of seals were recently sighted along area beaches and two great white sharks were briefly spotted on an aerial survey off Monomoy Island in Cape Cod, Massachusetts.
Depending on the time of year, more than 15 species of shark live in New England waters, the New England Aquarium said.
“We had a great white shark eat a seal in front of some whale watchers this time last year,” John Chisholm, associate scientist at the aquarium’s Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life, told Keynote USA by email.
“May is when white shark activity usually increases, so it’s nothing out of the ordinary,” he said.
Juan Chisholm
A deceased minke whale was seen with a white shark bite in Chatham, Massachusetts, on May 21, 2024.
A charter fishing company reported a minke whale with a shark bite earlier this week in Chatham, Massachusetts, and Chisholm took photos showing a seal freshly bitten by a shark in Plymouth, Massachusetts, according to the aquarium.
“With the beach weather forecast…this is a good reminder for people to review shark safety guidelines and be shark smart,” Chisholm said in the release.
Cape Cod National Seashore officials reported that sharks are active in the park’s waters at each of its beaches, according to the National Park Service.
The aquarium reported four confirmed sightings of white whales so far this season as of Saturday, according to Chisholm.
The New England Aquarium urged people to be on the lookout for sharks swimming in shallow waters, avoiding places where schools of fish or seals are visible and staying close to shore so emergency services can help if necessary. according to the statement.
Shark spotters can report sightings through the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy’s Sharktivity app, according to the conservancy and the aquarium.
A 2023 study found an overpopulation size of around 800 great white sharks in the Cape Cod area between 2015 and 2018.
While the total number of unprovoked shark bites reported globally remains “extremely low,” according to the Florida Museum of Natural History’s International Shark Attack File, deaths from unprovoked shark bites increased during the year past and most of the deaths were caused by white shark bites.
Three of those deaths occurred in Australia and one person died in California, according to the Florida Museum of Natural History.
Keynote USA
For the Latest Local News, Follow @Keynote USA Local on Twitter.