Atlantic White Shark Conservancy scientist Megan Winton said the Cape Cod beachgoers should expect many great whites in July as the bay's water gets warmer. Scientists expected about 230 great white sharks to visit the Massachusetts beach this season.
In June, scientists reported great white shark sightings where the recent incident happened in Truro, Massachusetts.
On Tuesday, Meadow Beach in Truro, Massachusetts, closed its door for one hour because of a white shark sighting. Sharktivity app confirmed the temporary closure. The incident is one of the latest sightings in the state. In the previous week, there were 10 sightings in Cape Cod.
Due to the sightings, scientists warn the beachgoers to be vigilant when they swim in the bay. Greg Skomal, a state marine biologist, said that beachgoers must be wary of the location where the shoreline drops off into deep waters.
Lighthouse Beach, Chatham, Cape Cod (as seen on "60 Minutes Presents")
Great White Shark Sightings in Massachusetts and the Other US States
On May 29, the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy confirmed the first sighting of the great whites near Great Point Lighthouse. The scientists had confirmed the next sighting on June 1, with seven great white sharks. The three great whites spotted were feeding on a dead whale.
On June 5, the agency confirmed another shark sighting in Nantucket at 7:23 a.m. Another shark was spotted near South Monomoy at 8:44 a.m. On the same day, two dead seals were found in a separate location -- Philbin Beach and near Chatam.
Skomal said that beachgoers' behavior changed after the two shark attacks on humans in 2018. In this incident, one victim was fatal. He said that beachgoers swam near the shore, while some did not venture into the water.
"It's a conservation success story in terms of sharks and seals. At the same time, this is an important place for people to recreate, so it's important to find ways to coexist," Winton said.
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Great White Shark Migration in Cape Cod and Scientists' Tracking System
In an interview in 2021, Winton said that sharks' favorite meal was a seal. So they were drawn to bodies of water where they could find their food. Winton said that sharks migrated to the Cape Cod area in May. However, they were abundant from August to October. She added that the great whites spent half of their time in waters less than 15 feet deep, which is close to the shore.
Scientists track the great white sharks using acoustic tags. The method allows the scientists to receive signals from the shark within 500 meters of a receiver. In 2021, 179 sharks were tagged.
In addition, scientists deployed real-time receivers in the area where the sharks are most active. It is along the Outer Cape. These receivers send information to public safety officials to warn them about sharks in the area.
"At the heart of all of this, it is all about people. We're learning all this information so we can provide it to the public and provide it to the people so that they can modify their behavior to proactively reduce the risk of having a bad interaction with a great white," Winton added.
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