First great white shark of the year spotted off Cape Cod
The first white shark of the year has arrived in Cape Cod waters. The 15-foot shark was spotted off South Beach in Orleans on Monday by researchers with the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy. Dr. Greg Skomal, program manager for the Massachusetts Shark Research program, snapped the footage.
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On Tuesday, the conservancy released new photos of the shark, which they said is a female that had not yet been catalogued.
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There has been a well-documented presence of white sharks off the Massachusetts coast in recent years, according to Massachusetts Division of Fisheries, and new regulations have been adopted to help with public safety while summertime visitors are around.
The shark is arriving a little late for the 40th anniversary of Jaws, but, better late than never. And if the sight of the large fish has you worried about your summer vacation plans on the Cape, don’t. It’s been almost 80 years since someone in Massachusetts was killed by a shark.
In fact, experts say sharks are actually scared of humans. You can follow the real-time movements of tagged sharks off the coast of the United States using the Global Shark Tracker.
Jaws: Behind the scenes on Martha’s Vineyard
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