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First white shark sighting of season confirmed in Mass.
“This is the time of year when we like to remind people to be ‘shark smart,’” shark expert John Chisholm cautioned.
Summer is still just around the corner, but shark season is officially underway after a white shark was spotted in Massachusetts waters Sunday, according to the New England Aquarium.
After noticing a pool of blood off Smith’s Point in Madaket, Nantucket, a witness spotted a shark chasing a seal toward the beach, the aquarium explained in a press release.
Shark expert John Chisholm examined photos of the seal’s wounds and confirmed the bite came from a white shark, according to the release.
Shark news:
The Nantucket Current posted a video of the grisly aftermath on social media.
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“This is the time of year when we like to remind people to be ‘shark smart’ as white sharks return to the inshore waters of New England, where they’ll hunt seals and other prey through the summer and into the fall,” said Chisholm in a statement.
He advised beachgoers to be aware of sharks present in shallow waters, avoid areas where there are seals or schools of fish, and stay close to shore and within reach of emergency responders.
More than 15 shark species live off the coast of New England, depending on the time of year. Members of the public can report shark sightings and stay up to date on shark activity through the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy’s Sharktivity app, the aquarium noted.
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“Increased shark sightings can be a positive sign of a recovering marine ecosystem, but this recovery also means that people should take even more care while swimming or surfing,” said Dr. Nick Whitney, senior scientist and chair of the Anderson Cabot Center’s Fisheries Science and Emerging Technologies program, in a statement.
Whitney said the center’s work “focuses on balancing ocean use with preservation, meaning we recognize the importance of the ocean for human use while trying to reduce the impact of humans on sharks, and vice versa.”
Shark attacks are still pretty rare in Massachusetts, though a Revere man died in 2018 after a shark bit him while he was boogie boarding off of Newcomb Hollow Beach on Cape Cod. It was the Bay State’s first fatal shark attack since 1936.
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