BOSTON (AP) – Researchers at the great white shark in Cape Cod are reminding visitors that warmer weather marks not only the start of a busy tourist season, but also the arrival of the area’s famous predators.
July tends to be when the great whites show up in earnest as the waters of the cape warm up, with views peaking from August to October, Atlantic White Shark Conservancy scientist Megan Winton told a news conference at her office. agency in Chatham on Wednesday.
“Just know that the great sharks are here,” he said. “It is a constant presence from June to autumn.”
A large white observation forced the temporary closure of the Head of the Meadow Beach in Truro on Tuesday.
Greg Skomal, a state-run marine biologist who has studied the area’s great whites for decades, said the animals still tend to congregate on the side of the cape facing the Atlantic Ocean, where they feast on a thriving seal population.
He advised coastal people to be more careful when swimming from beaches where the coastline falls quickly into deeper waters.
“Sharks will come close to shore when they have water depth,” Skomal said.
Since 2009, researchers have identified more than 280 large whites from the cape, with nearly 230 of those tags still active and sending data on shark movements, according to the scientists.
Skomal and Winton have spent years studying white shark migration and hunting behavior. Ongoing research is said to have helped increase beach safety by giving local officials and seafarers a better understanding of where whites tend to show up and what hours of the day they tend to be more active.
Skomal says there has been a marked change in the behavior of beachgoers since the area saw two shark attacks on humans – one of them deadly – in 2018.
Many are getting closer to shore when they swim, while others do not go out at all, he said.
“It’s a success story for sharks and seals,” Winton said. “At the same time, this is an important place for people to regenerate, so it’s important that we find ways to coexist.”
