Shark guru: Watch for seals, don’t go deep
The state’s top shark expert is urging those jumping into the surf on the Outer Cape this scorching weekend to be on the lookout for seals and be wary of swimming out too deep.
“If you’re going to the Outer Cape, certainly pay attention to your surroundings; pay attention to the presence of seals and don’t go out too far,” said Greg Skomal, a state Marine Fisheries biologist and national go-to shark researcher.
“If you’re on the Outer Cape and seals are nearby, just realize if there’s more than 6 feet of water or 5 feet, sharks could be hunting seals in shallow waters,” he told the Herald Friday. “I’m trying to get folks to emphasize water depth. There are parts of Cape Cod you can walk a few feet and the depths can drop. I would stay relatively shallow and cool off up to your waist.”
Skomal said the chances of being attacked by a shark are slim, but shark sightings have everyone on edge this summer after a 26-year-old Revere man was killed by a great white last year while boogie-boarding in Wellfleet.
Skomal said about a dozen great white sharks have been tagged this year — with more than 300 spotted in the “last several years” — around Cape Cod, especially off the tip of the popular peninsula.
Exactly how many sharks are calling the Cape home this weekend is a “hard number to come up with,” Skomal added.
“Working with the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy, we’re trying to answer that question. We’re analyzing data and hope to give you an estimate by the end of the year,” Skomal said.
He also said the conservancy’s popular Sharktivity app — which flags when tagged great whites come into the neighborhood — should not be used for public safety. Other sharks, he explained, are not all detected.
As for a possible solution to coexisting with great whites along Cape Cod, Skomal said he hasn’t settled on a single solution.
“I don’t believe there is any one solution that will fit. I know it’s taking longer than what the public wants, but it takes time to choose the right option. Until then, we need to alter our own behavior,” he said.
He said sharks have been hunting seals for “millions of years.” Being aware of both is a first step to safety.
“Know where the sandbars are, the pathways for sharks to come to shore,” Skomal added. “Also confirm what you’re looking at. There’s a tendency for the general public when they see a big fish to send it to the media first.
He added a basking shark off Martha’s Vineyard, which some are saying is a great white now making the rounds, only stokes unnecessary fear.
“Be aware of rip tides and rip currents,” Skomal added: Those can drag a swimmer down faster than any great white.