‘Be shark smart’: Cape officials urging vigilance ahead of holiday weekend

Cape Cod’s waters are part of a wild marine ecosystem with a rich diversity of sea life.

Included in that sea life is an animal that’s often misunderstood and misrepresented by pop culture: sharks.

To ensure a happy and safe holiday weekend, Cape Cod National Seashore is reminding residents to remain vigilant of our fin-tipped friends, especially if you decide to vacation on one of the Cape’s beaches. They even created this handy graphic to keep shark encounters at a minimum:

Seals, who frequent the beaches around Cape Cod, are the prey of choice for great white sharks.

As such, everyone going into the ocean should exercise caution, especially if there are seals swimming nearby.

Officials say swimmers should be willing to assume a certain level of risk before entering the water.

“In addition to being shark smart, visitors should always be aware of their surroundings for other potential risks, like rip currents and sun exposure,” Cape Cod National Seashore wrote in a social media post.

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