Tracking great white sharks on the South Shore

MARSHFIELD, Mass. — We’ve heard a lot about tracking great white sharks along the Cape but the South Shore is also on the lookout.

The Town of Marshfield is adding more technology after approving two high-tech detection buoys that send instant alerts when a tagged shark is in the area.

The high-tech operation started three years ago when Marshfield Harbormaster Mike DiMeo started researching the technology. Boston 25 News was granted exclusive access for the final step, which took place out at sea. 

“Today is a milestone for Marshfield and the South Shore,” DiMeo said. “We are first ones to have the real time great white shark detection buoys.”

The real-time shark alert buoys are going in the water off Marshfield’s Green Harbor near Duxbury Beach. The second one will be off of Rexhame Beach. 

“The buoys just add one more element or tool that we can see what is coming by at any given time,” DiMeo said. “They are positioned in areas to be the most effective. The buoys are placed strategically, 250 yards off the beach, so hopefully it will pick up a tagged shark within the beach line to the buoy.”

Shark expert Greg Skomal helped Marshfield calibrate the buoys before the launch and he is excited to get more of these buoys along more of the coastline. Skomal has been tracking great white sharks for the state and has tagged 260 since 2010. 

“They appear to be far more transient so I’m not surprised when we find sharks all along our coastline, not just on Cape Cod. They seem to move through quickly when they come through these areas of the South Shore,” Skomal said.

When a tagged shark is in the water and comes within a few hundred yards of a buoy an instant notification goes right to public safety officials including the harbor master.

“Then we will notify the beaches immediately, clear the beaches one or two hours depending the length of detection, notify our neighbors in Duxbury and Scituate with what we have,” DiMeo said.

Officer DiMeo is also working with Skomal to get the notifications on the Sharktivity app so the general public can monitor the tagged sharks themselves. 

“People really want to be informed on what is going on the beaches,” DiMeo said. “It may take time to get additional buoys because each one cost about $15,000. We do have visitors pass through here so I wanted to be on the cutting edge of technology and be one of the first ones out there. I think other towns will follow suit.”

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