Latest news with #Nantucket
Yahoo
a day ago
- Science
- Yahoo
Massive 13-foot great white shark pings off New England coast
The largest Atlantic great white shark tagged by a marine research company continues to make his way north. Named after a popular boat brand, scientists reported "Contender," a great white shark, pinged dozens of miles off the coast of Nantucket, Massachusetts. The island, a popular travel destination, is about 100 miles from Boston. At nearly 14 feet in length, the adult male shark surfaced on July 17, according to Ocearch, a global non-profit marine research group tracking shark sightings and migration. 'I didn't see it': Surfer bitten by shark in second attack at Florida beach this month A ping means the tag attached to the fish's dorsal fin was spotted above the surface for a brief period as it swam, transmitting a near-live location signal to the Ocearch shark tracker. How much does the great white weigh? According to Ocearch's shark tracker page, Contender weighs 1,653 pounds and measures 13 feet, 9 inches in length. The shark is believed to be just over 30 years old. Great white sharks' life span are typically between 30 and 40 years old, but according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration some can live past age 70. 'Dancing With Sharks': Tom Bergeron heads back to a watery ballroom Where has the great white pinged? Contender's location has pinged more than 40 times after researchers tagged the beast in January off the Florida-Georgia border. After that, a Feb. 23 ping showed he'd swam as far south as just off the coast of Vero Beach in Florida, before making his trek more than one thousand miles north. And last month, the big fish resurfaced off the coast of North Carolina, just off the Outer Banks near Cape Hatteras. Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@ and follow her on X @nataliealund. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Great white shark, 'Contender,' pings off Nantucket, Ocearch says Solve the daily Crossword
CBS News
a day ago
- Health
- CBS News
Shark attack survivor shares top 3 tips to help stay safe during encounter
Shark sightings off the eastern coast of the United States this summer may have some people wondering what they could do if they encounter a shark. "People go in the ocean every single day against this natural common sense knowing there's sharks in there, knowing there's jellyfish, knowing there's all kinds of beastly aliens in there. We still do it because we love it," Paul de Gelder, who lost his hand and leg in a 2009 shark attack while working as a bomb disposal diver for the Australian Navy, said Monday on "CBS Mornings." De Gelder shared some tips for surviving an attack. "I don't want people to have to go through what I went through, it's no fun. It hurts. There's a lot of recovery," he said. Here are his top tips: De Gelder is bringing his survival tips to a new Discovery Channel special, "How to Survive a Shark Attack," in which he tries to get attacked by the ocean animals in order to demonstrate how to survive. "I want to show people by doing," he said of the show. "They get to see what happens when a shark bites someone. What do I do if someone next to me gets attacked by a shark? What do I do if I get attacked by a shark? Let's show them exactly what to do." In July, officials in Maine warned beachgoers to exercise caution after multiple sightings of great white sharks, and a great white shark weighing more than 1,653 pounds was recently detected about 50 miles off the coast of Nantucket, Massachusetts. There have been some attacks this year, too. Earlier this month, an 18-year-old surf instructor was rushed to the hospital after he was attacked by a shark at a Florida beach. He was bitten on his foot while surfing off New Smyrna Beach, about 60 miles northeast of Orlando. In June, a 12-year-old girl was airlifted from South Carolina's Hilton Head Island after she was bitten by a shark. Just days prior, a 9-year-old nearly lost her hand after being bitten by a shark near Boca Grande on Florida's west coast.
CBS News
a day ago
- Science
- CBS News
Massive great white shark weighing over 1,600 pounds detected about 50 miles off Nantucket
A great white shark weighing 1,653 pounds was recently detected about 50 miles off the coast of Nantucket, Massachusetts. Research group OCEARCH says "Contender" is the largest white shark it's ever tagged in the western North Atlantic Ocean. At nearly 14 feet long, OCEARCH calls Contender "a true ocean giant." The latest ping from Contender came on Friday in the waters east of Massachusetts, between Nantucket Shoals and Georges Bank. Researchers have been tracking the adult male since January 2025 when they tagged Contender and took biological samples from him off the coast of Georgia. From there, he traveled down to Florida before heading up to the Outer Banks of North Carolina. He had last been pinged off the coast of Cape Hatteras in early June. OCEARCH said at the time he was likely headed to the "cooler and more prey-dense waters" of the northeast and Canada. Shark season has been underway in Massachusetts since May when a great white was seen hunting a seal on a Nantucket beach. On Memorial Day, a 20-foot shark that has invited "Jaws" comparisons was caught on camera swimming around Rhode Island's Block Island. And up in Maine, beachgoers and swimmers are urged to be cautious after two documented sightings of great whites off Bailey Island in Casco Bay. The tag placed on Contender will allow OCEARCH to track him for about five years. Researchers are hoping it will help them learn more about the migration patterns of great whites. Click here to see the latest pings for Contender and the location of other sharks tagged by OCEARCH.
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Daily Mail
Nantucket tree-cutting neighbor row hit with criminal charges
A fight over a Nantucket neighbor's tree cutting has ramped up as a property owner has been hit with criminal charges after he took drastic measures to improve the view from his property. Jonathan Jacoby, 55, was charged Thursday in Nantucket District Court with felony vandalism, trespassing, and destroying trees on another's land - a set of charges that could land him up to three years in state prison. The charges came after he allegedly removed over 16 trees belonging to longtime homeowners Patricia and Richard Belford, as reported by the Boston Globe. The property feud erupted on the wealthy Massachusetts island after Jacoby allegedly chopped down 50-year-old trees to carve out an 'ocean view' for himself. When the trees were slashed, Matt Erisman, the property manager of Belford's $4.2 million home, notified the Nantucket Police Department (NPD), prompting an investigation. 'It was just a disgusting scene,' Erisman, 40, told the outlet. 'Even outside of my professional work, I've never seen a neighbor act like that and just deceive their neighbor like he did.' Belford herself does not live at the property, located at 1 Tautemo Way, but in an assisted living facility, according to the Nantucket Current. Jacoby's former landscaper, Krasimir Kirilov, voluntarily told investigators Jacoby was responsible. Belford, who is suing on behalf of her family's trust, claimed losing the trees has caused emotional distress In a police statement submitted as lawsuit evidence, Kirilov said Jacoby reached out to him for help cleaning up landscaping work he was going to do on his own. Once he realized the work was not on Jacoby's property, Kirilov refused the offer. 'The NPD concluded that Jacoby entered the property knowingly and willfully and cut the trees for his own personal benefit,' the lawsuit reads about the ongoing investigation. Nantucket Police Lieutenant Angus MacVicar told the Nantucket Current there are pending charges against Jacoby. Belford argued the trees added not only privacy, but value to her home - with a nursey estimating they each could cost thousands of dollars.
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Daily Mail
Fight over Nantucket neighbor's tree cutting ramps up as 'selfish' man is slapped with criminal charges
A fight over a Nantucket neighbor's tree cutting has ramped up as a property owner has been hit with criminal charges after he took drastic measures to improve the view from his property. Jonathan Jacoby, 55, was charged Thursday in Nantucket District Court with felony vandalism, trespassing, and destroying trees on another's land - a set of charges that could land him up to three years in state prison. The charges came after he allegedly removed over 16 trees belonging to longtime homeowners Patricia and Richard Belford, as reported by the Boston Globe. The property feud erupted on the wealthy Massachusetts island after Jacoby allegedly chopped down 50-year-old trees to carve out an 'ocean view' for himself. Patricia Belford, 80, accused the brazen neighbor of breaking onto her Nantucket property and cutting down 16 trees without her permission in February. According to a $1.4 million lawsuit , Jacoby removed decades-old cherry, cedar and Leyland Cypress trees from the home 'with the specific purpose of improving the ocean view from his own property.' When the trees were slashed, Matt Erisman, the property manager of Belford's $4.2 million home, notified the Nantucket Police Department (NPD), prompting an investigation. 'It was just a disgusting scene,' Erisman, 40, told the outlet. 'Even outside of my professional work, I've never seen a neighbor act like that and just deceive their neighbor like he did.' Belford herself does not live at the property, located at 1 Tautemo Way, but in an assisted living facility, according to the Nantucket Current . Jacoby's former landscaper, Krasimir Kirilov, voluntarily told investigators Jacoby was responsible. Belford, who is suing on behalf of her family's trust, claimed losing the trees has caused emotional distress In a police statement submitted as lawsuit evidence, Kirilov said Jacoby reached out to him for help cleaning up landscaping work he was going to do on his own. Once he realized the work was not on Jacoby's property, Kirilov refused the offer. 'The NPD concluded that Jacoby entered the property knowingly and willfully and cut the trees for his own personal benefit,' the lawsuit reads about the ongoing investigation. Nantucket Police Lieutenant Angus MacVicar told the Nantucket Current there are pending charges against Jacoby. Belford argued the trees added not only privacy, but value to her home - with a nursey estimating they each could cost thousands of dollars. 'Based on the number of trees removed, the replacement cost alone exceeds $486,000,' the document, filed on June 23, states. 'This does not account for the historic value, loss of screening, increased noise, reduction in overall property value. 'Jacoby's actions were not only economically damaging but also emotionally devastating for Belford.'
