Recent Mass. shark sightings: Map shows great whites off South Shore, North Shore

HULL, Mass. — Great white sharks are beginning to swim north of Cape Cod and the Islands.

There were 16 confirmed great white sightings in the water off Massachusetts this week, with two coming off the South Shore and one on the North Shore, according to the Chatham-based Atlantic White Shark Conservancy’s Sharktivity app.

The Conservancy’s real-time shark activity map showed the South Shore sightings east of Nantasket Beach in Hull. The North Shore sighting was east of Plum Island in Newburyport.

In addition to great white sightings, predations involving dead seals and sharks feeding on a whale carcass have also been reported by Sharktivity users.

The map’s menu tools allow users to filter shark sightings as recent as 48 hours, over the last 30 days, or between a custom date range.

The icons on the map indicate the following:

• Red alert icon: A white shark sighting is confirmed close to a public beach
• Blue shark fin icon: A confirmed white shark sighting
• Orange shark fin icon: An unconfirmed white shark sighting
• Yellow icon: A receiver that detects white sharks tagged with acoustic tags and transmits the data in real-time
• Purple icon: A real-time detection of a shark tagged with an acoustic tag that is less than an hour old
• Orange icon: Detections of sharks tagged with acoustic transmitters
• Green icon: The shark’s dorsal fin breaks the surface and the tag transmits to overhead satellites

The Sharktivity app, which is available to download on iPhone and Android, tracks sightings fed by researchers, safety officials, and users who upload photos for confirmation.

John Chisholm, adjunct scientist at New England Aquarium, recently told Boston 25 they are expecting more sharks this year as the seal population continues to grow.

“No matter where you’re going into the water, whether that’s Cape Cod or Gloucester or Plymouth, you need to be shark smart,” Chisholm cautioned beachgoers.

While the last shark attack in Massachusetts was in 2020, the growing numbers of seals and sharks should make beachgoers more alert, Chisholm advised.

Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts.

Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW

©2024 Cox Media Group