Sharks in Massachusetts: Where great whites have been spotted in the area this week

CAPE COD, Mass. — Multiple great white sharks have been spotted off the coast of Cape Cod and are now lurking in the waters of New England.

There have been 3 confirmed white shark sightings off South Monomoy Island in Chatham, according to the Chatham-based Atlantic White Shark Conservancy’s Sharktivity app.

Another great white has been seen 60 yards off of North Beach Island in Chatham headed south.

On the Northern part of the Cape, a white shark was spotted 20 yards off of Nauset South OSV in Orleans near Trail 2. The shark was headed north.

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.

While the last shark attack in Massachusetts was in 2020, the growing numbers of seals and sharks should make beachgoers more alert, John Chisholm, adjunct scientist at New England Aquarium said.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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