Latest news with #greatwhite
Daily Mail
7 days ago
- Science
- Daily Mail
Fisherman catches very dangerous shark off Cape Cod as huge great white closes in on beloved peninsula
A Massachusetts fisherman has hooked one of the world's most dangerous sharks just yards from shore - just as a 14-foot, 1,600-pound great white circles nearby waters, stoking fresh fears along the East Coast's most iconic summer playground. The shocking catch, a juvenile tiger shark landed off Mashpee, comes as scientists warn of a surge in aggressive, warm-water predators migrating north due to rapidly rising ocean temperatures. Hans Brings was casting lines at Popponesset Beach, along the Cape's southern edge, when he made the alarming catch just feet from shore. At just four-feet long, the tiger shark is renowned for its aggressive behavior and is second only to the great white in recorded attacks on humans. The unsettling encounter came just days after a satellite ping revealed the largest great white shark ever tagged in the Atlantic, nicknamed 'Contender', cruising just 30 miles off the coast of Nantucket, less than 100 miles from Boston. Brings released the animal back into the sea, but scientists say it's part of a growing trend that's impossible to ignore. 'It's another warm-water species that's taking advantage of the warming waters and coming north,' said scientist at the New England Aquarium John Chisholm to the Boston Herald. 'Now, we're getting little ones like this one every year. We've been seeing more and more of them.' The historic catch is not a one-off event. Marine experts have been sounding the alarm for years: as climate change warms Atlantic waters, tiger sharks, hammerheads, and even bull sharks, all tropical and subtropical predators, are extending their range northward. 'This is now within their comfort zone,' Chisholm explained. Tiger sharks, often called 'garbage cans of the sea' due to their varied and unpredictable diets, can grow large enough to devour seals, a key food source also favored by the great white shark. Indeed, a 14-foot, 1,653-pound great white shark was recently detected just 30 miles off the coast of Nantucket, swimming alarmingly close to the Cape. The massive apex predator, nicknamed 'Contender' by researchers, is believed to be about 32 years old and was first tagged off the Florida-Georgia border earlier this year. Since then, it has pinged more than 40 times as it made a 1,000-mile journey up the East Coast with its dorsal fin breaking the surface from Vero Beach to Cape Hatteras to the cooler waters near Massachusetts, prime territory for seals. Although nothing like the 25-foot movie monster from Jaws, filmed just across the water on Martha's Vineyard, Contender is the largest great white ever tagged in the Atlantic. 'The largest white sharks that have been reliably measured are right around 20 feet, and any larger than this is likely impossible,' said Nick Whitney, PhD, senior scientist at the New England Aquarium to USA Today. 'People need to take precautions when they go into the water,' Chisholm warned. 'We know sharks are here, and you're swimming in a shark habitat, so you have to be aware. 'They're not targeting humans,' he reassured. 'It's usually an accident when they bite somebody, but unfortunately one bite can hit an artery and you can have a loss of life.' Contender's path has sparked unease in local communities, particularly given the shark's proximity to Nantucket, Cape Cod, and Boston, packed with beachgoers throughout the summer. Marine biologist Andriana Fragola, 31, told that beachgoers need to understand how to respond if they encounter a shark. 'The best thing to do is just to remain calm,' she advised. 'If you do want to get out of the water, just slowly kind of back out of it - that way you can keep an eye on the shark while getting out.' 'Any type of screaming and splashing… it's definitely going to make them more interested in pursuing you or just checking you out.' If a shark is nearby, 'eye contact is key,' she added. 'You want to look like a predator… show the shark that you see it. 'And then if the shark ever continued to approach you… you could push down on the top of the head and push it away from you. That's like last-case scenario.' Chisholm noted that larger tiger sharks, like the one caught this week, may soon begin feasting on the Cape's abundant seal colonies. 'They're very opportunistic when it comes to prey,' he said.
Daily Mail
7 days ago
- Science
- Daily Mail
Alarm as Atlantic's biggest great white heads for tourist hotspot
By The biggest ever shark tagged in the Atlantic has been tracked swimming dangerously close to one of America's top summer vacation spots. The 14-foot, 1,653-pound apex predator - nicknamed 'Contender' after the research vessels used by the organization - was recently detected off the coast of Nantucket, Massachusetts, about 30 miles from Cape Cod and 100 miles south of Boston. Marine researchers from nonprofit group OCEARCH, which monitors sharks around the globe, say the adult male is about 32 years old and still going strong, well within the typical great white lifespan of 30 to 40 years. The shark was first tagged in January near the Florida-Georgia border and has since made a 1,000-mile journey up the East Coast. It has pinged more than 40 times along the way, including in February off Vero Beach, Florida , and in June near Cape Hatteras in North Carolina. Contender's tracker pings whenever his dorsal fin breaks the surface while an Argos satellite is overhead and allows researchers a glimpse into the migration habits of these top-tier predators. Experts say great whites often head north in spring and summer, following prey and cooler waters , making this latest sighting near Nantucket an unsettling but not unusual event. While large, Contender is still smaller than the blood-thirsty antagonist of the 1975 blockbuster hit Jaws. 'The largest white sharks that have been reliably measured are right around 20 feet, and any larger than this is likely impossible,' Nick Whitney, PhD, the senior scientist and chair of the Fisheries Science and Emerging Technologies department at the New England Aquarium told USA Today last year. 'We know this because scientists have been able to calculate the size of white sharks at different ages and show that their growth levels off when they hit around 40 years old. Marine biologist Andriana Fragola, 31, issued advice to beachgoers to keep them safe from shark attacks. 'The best thing to do is just to remain calm,' she told Daily Mail. 'If you do want to get out of the water, just slowly kind of back out of it - that way you can keep an eye on the shark while getting out.' 'Any type of screaming and splashing, they can feel the vibrations of all of that, and it's definitely going to make them more interested in pursuing you or just checking you out.' 'Honestly, standing still is probably the best thing.' If you're in the water and a shark is curious, eye contact is key. 'You want to look like a predator,' she said. 'You're going to stand your ground and show the animal that you see it - show the shark that you see it - by making eye contact and continuing to look around, just in case there's any other sharks in the area.' 'And then if the shark ever continued to approach you... you could push down on the top of the head and push it away from you. That's like last-case scenario.'
Daily Mail
7 days ago
- Science
- Daily Mail
Alarm as largest great white shark recorded in the Atlantic swims straight towards iconic tourist spot
The biggest ever shark tagged in the Atlantic has been tracked swimming dangerously close to one of America's top summer vacation spots. The 14-foot, 1,653-pound apex predator - nicknamed 'Contender' after the research vessels used by the organization - was recently detected off the coast of Nantucket, Massachusetts, about 30 miles from Cape Cod and 100 miles south of Boston. Marine researchers from nonprofit group OCEARCH, which monitors sharks around the globe, say the adult male is about 32 years old and still going strong, well within the typical great white lifespan of 30 to 40 years. The shark was first tagged in January near the Florida-Georgia border and has since made a 1,000-mile journey up the East Coast. It has pinged more than 40 times along the way, including in February off Vero Beach, Florida, and in June near Cape Hatteras in North Carolina. Contender's tracker pings whenever his dorsal fin breaks the surface while an Argos satellite is overhead and allows researchers a glimpse into the migration habits of these top-tier predators. Experts say great whites often head north in spring and summer, following prey and cooler waters, making this latest sighting near Nantucket an unsettling but not unusual event. While large, Contender is still smaller than the blood-thirsty antagonist of the 1975 blockbuster hit Jaws. The 14-foot, 1,653-pound apex predator nicknamed 'Contender' was recently detected off the coast of Nantucket, Massachusetts While Contender is an impressive 14-foot, 1,653-pound predator, it's still no match for the fictional behemoth - the 25-foot killing machine that terrorized Amity Island in the movie filmed in nearby Martha's Vineyard. But experts say a real-life great white shark that size simply isn't possible. 'The largest white sharks that have been reliably measured are right around 20 feet, and any larger than this is likely impossible,' Nick Whitney, PhD, the senior scientist and chair of the Fisheries Science and Emerging Technologies department at the New England Aquarium told USA Today last year. 'We know this because scientists have been able to calculate the size of white sharks at different ages and show that their growth levels off when they hit around 40 years old. 'So you could roughly estimate a white shark's age based on it's length for its first few decades of life, but if you measured several white sharks between the ages of 40 and 70, their lengths would all be similar. 'They're just not going to reach 25 feet. Anything between 16 and 20 feet is a real monster.' Marine biologist Andriana Fragola, 31, issued advice to beachgoers to keep them safe from shark attacks. 'The best thing to do is just to remain calm,' she told Daily Mail. 'If you do want to get out of the water, just slowly kind of back out of it - that way you can keep an eye on the shark while getting out.' 'Any type of screaming and splashing, they can feel the vibrations of all of that, and it's definitely going to make them more interested in pursuing you or just checking you out.' 'Honestly, standing still is probably the best thing.' If you're in the water and a shark is curious, eye contact is key. 'You want to look like a predator,' she said. 'You're going to stand your ground and show the animal that you see it - show the shark that you see it - by making eye contact and continuing to look around, just in case there's any other sharks in the area.' 'And then if the shark ever continued to approach you... you could push down on the top of the head and push it away from you. That's like last-case scenario.'
CBS News
20-07-2025
- CBS News
Map shows where great white sharks have been reported off Cape Cod this weekend
It's that time of year at the beaches of Massachusetts when the public is urged to be "shark smart." And there have been numerous sightings of great white sharks over the weekend, mostly off Cape Cod, data shows. The Atlantic White Shark Conservancy keeps track of great whites in the area via the Sharktivity app. The app shows where sharks have been spotted based on reports from researchers, public officials and user-submitted photos. From Friday through mid-day Sunday, there have been more than a dozen shark reports. The blue fin icon indicates that researchers have confirmed the sighing. Here's when and where they happened: Chatham: On Friday, a white shark was spotted about 30 feet off North Beach Island, traveling south. The next morning, an acoustic receiver detected an 11-foot shark that researchers named "Baobab" in the area. Also on Saturday, a user reported that a shark was seen about 200 feet off North Beach Island and was headed south. Wellfleet: Early Sunday morning, a nine-foot shark named Pearl was detected by a receiver off Newcomb Hollow Beach in Wellfleet. A few hours later, "Zero" the shark was detected off Lecount Hollow Beach. Orleans: Peal the shark was also detected early Friday morning near Nauset Beach in Orleans. Falmouth: An unconfirmed shark sighting was reported in Falmouth Friday at Surf Drive Beach. The report says lifeguards cleared people from the water due to a sighting of an approximately six-foot shark. Nantucket: There was an unconfirmed shark sighting north of Nantucket's Great Point Beach on Saturday, according to the app. Monomoy: There were five shark sightings off Monomoy Island on Friday and Saturday. Monomoy is a popular gathering spot for seals, which sharks are known to feast on. Last week, there were two documented sightings of great white sharks off the coast of Maine, prompting a warning for swimmers and beachgoers. Earlier this month, Crane Beach in Ipswich on the North Shore said it would be stepping up shark monitoring this summer to keep swimmers safe after a series of shark sightings last fall.
Daily Mail
10-07-2025
- Daily Mail
New details emerge after surfer, 37, was mauled to death by shark in front of his girlfriend at Aussie beach
A surfer mauled to death by a great white at a WA beach had decided against surfing at an SA beach a few weeks earlier after locals told him of a deadly shark attack. Steven Payne, 37, from New Zealand, was just weeks into a six-month trip around Australia with his girlfriend and their dog when they stopped for a surf at Wharton Beach on Western Australia 's south coast in March. Mr Payne, who had been in remission from testicular cancer for three years, was surfing in chest-deep water 50 metres from shore at the time of the attack. Shocked onlookers, including his partner who was reading a book on the sand, were powerless to help him as his screams rang out. The rescue operation became a recovery mission after a member of the public shared drone footage of Mr Payne being attacked by the shark with police. His surfboard was found nearby with bite marks, but authorities were unable to find his body. The Coroner's Court of Western Australia heard on Wednesday that Mr Payne owned a shark deterrent device but did not wear it as he thought it would not need it once he left South Australia. The inquiry was told that he and his partner Catherine had chosen not to surf at Granites Beach in SA after locals mentioned a fatal shark attack in January, PerthNow reported. The inquest was told Mr Payne went into the water with two other surfers about 10.15am on March 10 while his girlfriend Catherine Birch relaxed on the shore with their dog Poppy. After 90 minutes, she ran to the water's edge when she spotted a commotion. 'Catherine then realised that the commotion was where she had last seen Steven and the victim of the attack was wearing the same distinctive sun hat that he wore,' Acting Sergeant Craig Robertson said. 'From what she witnessed, Catherine immediately knew that Steven was dead.' He said the DNA testing from Mr Payne's damaged surfboard revealed a 100 per cent match for a great white. The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development's Dr Steven Travers assessed the drone footage, concluding the shark was between 3.2-3.5 metres long. Sgt Robertson told the inquest the other surfers could not help Mr Payne, as they had each reached a nearby rock and the shore. 'The attack concluded by the shark dragging Steven down into the large circle of blood-stained water that surrounded them... He was never seen to resurface following that,' he said. Investigators who assessed the drone video found 'the images show Steven sustaining injuries and blood loss which are incompatible with life', the inquest heard. Deputy State Coroner Sarah Linton told the inquest Mr Payne's death would likely be ruled a fatal accident. Mr Payne and Ms Birch had been together for 12 years and adopted their dog, Poppy, seven years ago. The trio were five weeks into a six-month caravan trip around the western half of Australia, his family said after the incident. 'Just a week ago, Steve surfed one of the best waves of his life, sharing the wave with a dolphin. He was stoked,' they wrote in a statement. The family said Mr Payne would not support a shark cull or any attempt to kill the shark responsible. 'He and his partner spent a lot of time in the ocean together, had enjoyed many dives with sharks and knew the risks,' they said. The inquest heard it took emergency services 40 minutes to reach the remote beach on March 10. It was then closed as the search operation began but the hunt was called off after two days. Police have suggested Mr Payne's body may have been taken from the location by the shark but teams did find his sun hat, two pieces of his wetsuit and foam believed to be from the damaged nose of his board. Western Australia Police Force Senior Sergeant Christopher Taylor described Ms Birch as distraught following the ordeal. 'Her life was turned upside down,' he said in March. 'You can imagine how she is, it's just horrible. 'It is heartbreaking obviously and the whole community of Esperance feels the pain - not as much as the family, they're distraught and trying to come to terms with what happened.' Witnesses described seeing a 'massive shark' launching itself at the surfer in the water. Mr Payne first picked up surfing while studying at the University of Otago in Dunedin, NZ. It was a passion he maintained after moving to Geelong, on Victoria's southern coast. 'We are devastated to have lost Steve,' they said. 'Steve was one of the best. A gentle giant, he was smart, kind, funny, laid back and very practical. 'While he wasn't a man of many words, he loved his partner deeply, cherished his family, thought the world of his best mates, and was devoted to his dog.' Mr Payne worked in Melbourne as a sales and marketing director and a volunteer firefighter. He grew up in Lower Hutt, near Wellington, and school friends described him as a talented rugby player. It's understood that Mr Payne and his partner had previously lived in Namibia, South Africa. Authorities arrived at the remote beach at 12.10pm on March 10, before closing the beach to commence a search.
