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3 white sharks spotted off Nantucket chomping on dead whale
The sighting follows just days after the first official white shark sighting of the season off Massachusetts.
The sharp-toothed visitors to the waters off Massachusetts are officially back.
Three great white sharks were spotted off Nantucket on Wednesday, chowing down on a dead whale near Tuckernuck Island, according to the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy’s Sharktivity app.
The sighting follows days after the first official white shark sighting of the season on Sunday, when onlookers spotted the ocean predator eating a seal close to the shore just off Great Point on Nantucket.
The presence of the great whites has increased off Cape Cod as the population of seals, the major prey species for sharks, has rebounded. The peak months for shark activity off Cape Cod are August through October.
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With the return of the summer season, officials and researchers are reminding beachgoers to practice “Shark Smart” safety measures:
- Be aware sharks hunt for seals in shallow water.
- Stay close to shore where rescuers can reach you.
- Swim, paddle, kayak and surf in groups – don’t isolate yourself.
- Avoid areas where seals are present.
- Avoid areas where schools of fish are visible.
- Avoid murky or low visibility water.
- Limit splashing.
- Adhere to all signage and flag warnings at beaches.
- Follow instructions of the lifeguards.
The public is also urged to report shark sightings, and check for confirmed detections, using the Sharktivity app.
Massachusetts saw its first fatal shark attack in more than 80 years in September 2018 when a boogie boarder at a Wellfleet beach was bitten and killed, a month after a swimmer was seriously injured in an attack off a Truro beach. In 2020, a woman swimming was bitten and killed in Maine.
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