Is This Great White Shark Stalking Surfers Off Cape Cod?


A photographer with the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy captured an image last week revealing a great white swimming surprisingly close to a surfer and paddleboarder, one more indication that the apex predators are in no rush to leave the Massachusetts coastline.

The image was captured by Wayne Davis, an aerial photographer, off Nauset Beach in Orleans on Thursday, according to The Boston Globe. When the photo was taken, the great white was about 150 feet away from the surfers, yet Davis attests that the shark was within 75 feet of them when he first spotted it.

As CBS Boston notes, the White Shark Conservancy posted the image to their Facebook page, along with a message highlighting the uneventful nature of the encounter, while cautioning residents that sharks are still in residency off Cape Cod.

“Uneventful encounters with white sharks are likely a common occurrence along our shores, indicating these sharks are not the mindless killers they were once thought to be. However, they still pose a risk and it’s important for people to be aware of their presence. White sharks are hunting seals in our region for a significant portion of the year. Beachgoers entering the water for recreational activities should follow precautions to improve their safety.”

The sighting on Thursday comes just a week after shark expert Greg Skomal, a Senior Marine Fisheries Biologist with the state of Massachusetts, managed to tag his 15th great white of the season. The shark, which was spotted off the coast of Chatham, was also one of the largest cataloged this year, measuring 17 feet in length.

Skomal’s team logged dozens of shark sightings off Cape Cod this summer, during a busy year that saw a tourism boom driven by the great whites’ presence. He related to The Boston Globe in another interview last week that it isn’t unprecedented to see white sharks off the Cape this time of year, noting that several may remain in the area as late as December to feed on the local seal population.

As The Inquisitr has previously reported, a great white shark named Katharine recently returned to Cape Cod after a voyage that took her into the Gulf of Mexico and back North again. Tagged off the Massachusetts coast just over a year ago, the great white has since captivated an online audience that is able to track her along with other sharks, via the OCEARCH website.

[Image: Atlantic White Shark Conservancy/ Pam King via Facebook]

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