First white shark of the season sighted off Provincetown, public reminded to be aware

Summer won't be official for another few weeks, but for the great white sharks that frequent Cape Cod waters during the warmer months the season is already under way.

The first white shark of the year was spotted during a Dolphin Fleet Whale Watch on May 20 off Provincetown, near the southwest corner of the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary. The sighting has prompted scientists to remind people to be aware of their surroundings if they venture into the water over the holiday weekend, and to report shark sightings for ongoing research.

White sharks spend the summer and into fall hunting seals in inshore waters off Massachusetts, most notably off Cape Cod's eastern shores from Provincetown to the southern tip of Monomoy, but also within the bay. The first shark of the season may be the vanguard, but it certainly is not an unexpected guest at the marine dinner table.

"It’s right on schedule for what we see this time of year," said John Chisholm, adjunct scientist in the New England Aquarium’s Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life and citizen science coordinator for the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy in Chatham.

Whale watchers glimpse first white shark of the season

According to Andrea Spence, a naturalist with the Provincetown-based Dolphin Fleet Whale Watch, the shark was seen feeding on a gray seal only about 100 feet from the boat.

"The entire boat was in complete awe at what we were seeing," she said. "It’s sure to leave a lasting impression on passengers and crew alike," she said. "We were very lucky to be in the right place at the right time to capture such an incredible event."

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Shark sightings during whale watching trips are rare, but not unheard of, Spence said.

"Dolphin Fleet boats have sighted white sharks in the past, particularly when there is a whale carcass floating offshore with sharks scavenging it, but it’s certainly uncommon — even more uncommon to witness a complete predation event like we did. We like to say that every trip is different and we never know exactly what we’ll see. This was proof."

It was Spence's first time seeing a white shark offshore, she said. She estimated it was about 12 feet in length.

Keeping track of white sharks with 'Sharktivity'

Chisholm said Spence and Kathy Bulger, who also works on the whale watch, reported the sighting to him, since he documents accounts of shark-seal interactions and verifies shark sighting reports made by the public through the Sharktivity app.

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Chisholm helped create Sharktivity, and has been its official coordinator since last year when the New England Aquarium and the Atlantic Shark Conservancy partnered around the app.

Chisholm said he also keeps track of other species, but Sharktivity documents only white sharks. The app provides information and push notifications on white shark sightings, detections and movements "to raise awareness and help people and sharks co-exist," according to the New England Aquarium. Sightings are input into the app by researchers, safety officials, and others who upload photos and video, "essentially crowdsourcing critical data on where sharks are spotted."

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Cape Cod is one of the world's white shark hot spots

In 2022, several dozen white shark sightings were recorded through the app, Chisholm said.

The number of white sharks present in the waters of Cape Cod, he said, has "generally increased" in recent years. That statement is corroborated by shark expert Greg Skomal, a senior biologist with the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries, who spends much of his time in the summer studying the Cape's white sharks.

The animals tend to congregate here from May or June through November, peaking from August through October. In recent years, Cape Cod has emerged as one of the world's white shark hot spots, and the sharks' only known aggregation site on the Atlantic coast, according to Skomal. Because of that, it's become a premier place for conducting research and testing new observational, detection and warning technologies. The sharks have also become a big tourism draw.

First white shark sighting 'a reminder to beachgoers and boaters to be mindful...'

Although white shark bites on humans are rare, Chisholm and others said the season's first sighting "serves as a reminder to beachgoers and boaters to be mindful of the presence of these ocean animals."

“It’s important to be aware of sharks’ presence in shallow waters, to avoid areas where seals are present or schools of fish are visible, and to stay close to shore where rescuers can reach you if needed," he said.

“There is a real public concern around beach safety, and we recognize the need to respond to that,” said Nick Whitney, senior scientist at the aquarium and chairman of the Anderson Cabot Center’s Fisheries Science and Emerging Technologies program.

Aquarium researchers are invested in continuing their partnership with the Conservancy "to help provide accurate, timely information on shark sightings in the region,” Whitney said.

Not the only fish in town

White sharks aren't the only sharks in Massachusetts waters. Chisholm said the most abundant sharks here are Atlantic spiny dogfish. There are also porbeagle sharks, which remain year round, in addition to Atlantic shortfin makos, blue sharks, sandbar sharks and tiger sharks, among others.

White sharks and makos are the two species that predominantly feed on seals.

"They are the only ones big enough to handle them," Chisholm said, though "Porbeagle sharks also have the ability to bite seals."

Heather McCarron writes about climate change, environment, energy, science and the natural world. Reach her at hmccarron@capecodonline.com, or follow her on Twitter @HMcCarron_CCT

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This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Great white shark sighting off Cape Cod is the first of the season