Better get used to sharks
Experts: They’re in Cape waters to stay
The great white sharks are here to stay, experts tell the Herald, prowling Cape Cod’s shores on the hunt for seals and posing a likely longterm threat to swimmers and surfers.
“Before when people went to the beaches around here, the biggest concern was how cold was the water. That was it. They weren’t worried about shark attacks,” said Tom King, a Scituate-based shark expert. “Now people are definitely afraid. Way fewer people are swimming around, and they’re not going very far out into the water anymore.”
All summer long, Cape beaches have been temporarily closed at different times as the aquatic predators continue to lurk along the shoreline.
This weekend, lifeguards temporarily shut down multiple Cape beaches because of great white shark sightings. The booming seal population is being blamed.
“It’s not going to be like in the past when seals had a bounty on them and were wiped out,” King said. “As long as the federal government protects the species, the problem is not going to be solved.”
Since 2012, sharks have attacked people three times off Wellfleet and Truro. Last year, 26-year-old Arthur Medici was killed while boogie boarding at Newcomb Hollow Beach in Wellfleet — the state’s first shark attack fatality in 82 years.
There have been no reports of shark attacks so far this summer on the Cape. Lifeguards on high alert immediately close the beach for one hour if a shark is nearby.
“The odds of injury go down really dramatically when you do that,” said Catherine Macdonald, executive director of Florida’s Field School, which researches sharks. “Reducing interactions between people and wildlife is always a good idea.”
The Sunshine State researcher has seen thousands of smaller sharks in the past 10 years, but has only seen one 8-foot great white shark.
“We know they pass by here (in Florida), but they’re not residents here for long periods,” said Macdonald, who’s also a lecturer in marine conservation biology at the University of Miami. “There’s just not much for great whites to eat here, so we’re not seeing the amount of spotting that you guys are.”
With the rise of shark sightings along the Cape, officials have hired independent researchers to analyze shark mitigation strategies — such as the use of drones, shark detection buoys, netting and other barriers.
Area companies are taking safety measures. Sacred Surf School on Cape Cod deploys a shark repellent device called a “Shark Shield,” which floats around near where they hold lessons and creates a powerful electrical field that turns away sharks, according to the technology’s website.
“Of course, no one can guarantee your safety in an outdoor sport like surfing,” Sacred Surf School wrote on its website. “Surfers deal with sharks all over the world, however we are doing our best to mitigate the risk in the changing waters on Cape Cod and make sure you have a great surfing experience.”
Shark safety tips include: Stay close to shore, avoid areas with seals and schools of fish, avoid murky water, limit splashing, and swim, paddle or kayak in groups.