First white shark of season confirmed off New England after dead seal found on Massachusetts beach
According to the aquarium, a witness noticed a pool of blood off Smith's Point in Madaket on the western end of the island on Sunday, May 11, and then saw a seal swimming toward the shore with a shark in pursuit.
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After examining photos of the seal, John Chisholm, an adjunct scientist in the aquarium's Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life, it was confirmed that the bite did indeed come from a white shark.
"This is the time of year when we like to remind people to be 'shark smart' as white sharks return to the inshore waters of New England, where they'll hunt seals and other prey through the summer and into the fall," Chisholm said.
So, what does it mean to be shark smart?
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Chisholm said people heading to the beach need to be aware of sharks' presence in shallow water and avoid areas where seals are present or schools of fish are visible.
It's also advised to stay close to shore, where emergency responders can get to you if you need help.
Beachgoers can report shark sightings and can be alerted to shark activity with the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy's Sharktivity app.
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The New England Aquarium has a team of nine scientists in the Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life who study sharks, including porbeagle and nurse sharks, as well as thresher, blue, mako, sandbar, and sand tiger sharks.
Officials said that, depending on the time of year, over 15 shark species reside in the waters off New England.Original article source: First white shark of season confirmed off New England after dead seal found on Massachusetts beach
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Boston Globe
25-07-2025
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The other ‘Jaws effect': A wave of shark science and conservation
Write to us at . To subscribe, . TODAY'S STARTING POINT 'Jaws,' the iconic 1975 thriller about a giant great white shark that terrorizes a small New England island town, still gets a lot of praise. It made director Steven Spielberg's career, left behind a two-note theme synonymous with dread, and effectively invented the summer blockbuster. The novel that inspired it, by Peter Benchley, But 50 years on, the book and film have also been chum for critics. Shark-fishing tournaments Yet that definition of the Jaws effect is at best incomplete. The novel and the film also led to a surge of shark science and conservation efforts that have begun to protect the animals from both ignorance and overfishing. Advertisement Fear and fascination That a movie about a killer shark catalyzed legions of scientists to study the animals suggests a strange truth about human psychology: things that scare us can also become objects of deep allure. 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Boston Globe
21-07-2025
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More hammerhead shark sightings off Cape Cod are a symptom of warming temperatures
Smooth hammerhead sharks are one of the largest hammerhead shark species, and they typically reside in temperate waters in coastal or tropical areas, according to ocean conservation nonprofit Reports of a smooth hammerhead shark spotted off Chatham was reported last summer, the Globe Advertisement According to Chisholm, Massachusetts beachgoers should exercise the normal amount of caution when entering the water, but there's no need for increased concern. Shark attacks are extremely rare, but Advertisement 'These sharks are fish eaters, they're not interested in humans,' he said. 'That said, they need to be treated with respect, because they are predators and they have the potential to bite. They're not pets.' White sharks, a cold-water species which has always been a staple in New England waters, are also Unlike smooth hammerheads, the increase in white shark sightings is more likely owed to population growth following stricter laws surrounding shark fin removal and harvesting. This increase has also coincided with shifting attitudes towards sharks as the widespread fear of great whites precipitated by 'Jaws' has died down. Biologists don't yet know what impact the evolving makeup of the regional marine ecosystem will have on local fish populations. However, Chisholm emphasized the importance of reporting shark sightings to scientists like him so that they can continue to gather data on how the changing climate is affecting marine wildlife.
