Great White Shark Spotted Off Cape Cod

September 24, 2004

Release from: TheBostonChannel.com

BOSTON -- A great white shark was spotted off the coast of Massachusetts this week and was tagged by Woods Hole marine biologists who want to know more about its activities.

"It's pretty unusual for this time of year, not a lot to eat around so this is rare for such a large fish to be up here in such a small body of water," said Corey Robinson of the U.S. Coast Guard.

NewsCenter 5's Gail Huff reported that while swimmers wouldn't ever want to meet one, Cape biologists were thrilled at the visit from the shark, which was spotted off Naushon Island. They tagged it, using a 6-foot spear to attach the tag to the shark's dorsal fin, and will be able to gather information about its whereabouts and lifestyle over a 6-month period.

"This species actually is a dangerous species of shark. It's one of the top five most dangerous sharks in the world," Woods Hole marine biologist Greg Skomal said. Skomal estimated the shark weighed about 2,000 pounds.

Pictures of the 17-foot shark were taken and the Coast Guard is monitoring the shark's whereabouts, but has made no attempt to chase it off shore or to interfere with its life.

"We saw him breach. He kind of came up out the water then dove back in. It's hard to tell the size because the water's so murky down there. We saw a tail. Pretty good size, judging by the tail. They said he's been in there for three days now, and he's just kind of doing his thing, so he can come and go as he pleases," said Justin Yow of the U.S. Coast Guard.

The tag attached to the shark will send a signal picked up by satelitte providing data about its whereabouts over the next 6 months. The biologists said they are hoping visitors stay away from the area to avoid disturbing the animal. They said although the great white sharks are common in the deeper water south of Martha's Vineyard, they're rarely seen so close to shore. The sharks feed on seals, however, and the scientists speculate that a growing seal population has drawn the sharks closer to Cape Cod.

The last fatal shark attack in Massachusetts was in 1936 when a great white attacked a child swimming in Buzzard's Bay near Mattapoisett, Mass.

The United States and several other countries recently joined together to support trade restrictions aimed at protecting great whites, which are listed as an endangered species. The sharks can grow to up 24-feet in length and are slow to breed. Hunters have targeted them in the past and fishermen sometimes catch them in nets. In Asia, where shark fin soup is popular, millions of the sharks are killed each year for their meat.

The sharks were added to a list of 50 proposals submitted to the United Nations' Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, or CITES. The 166 nations that are part of the convention will meeting in Thailand in October to review the worldwide list of endangered species. The list aims to protect more than 5,000 species of animals and more than 28,000 species of plants.