It wouldn’t be Fourth of July week on the Cape without some shark alerts.
As predicted by shark experts, the apex predator sightings are picking up just as beachgoers head to the Cape for the holiday week.
Great white shark alerts were popping up on the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy’s Sharktivity app on Wednesday, shutting down beaches to swimming for some time. Another ping hit early this morning, too.
“!! SHARK ALERT !! white sharks spotted by pilot off Head of the Meadow and Beachcomber,” posted MA Sharks, which is run by shark biologist John Chisholm.
“Download @sharktivity to stay up to date,” Chisholm added.
A shark was spotted west of Truro’s Head of the Meadow beach, and about a mile off of Wellfleet’s Beachcomber.
‼️SHARK ALERT‼️ white sharks spotted by pilot off Head of the Meadow and Bechcomber. Download @sharktivity to stay up to date. pic.twitter.com/3kl4Xxqbci
— MA Sharks 🦈 (@MA_Sharks) July 3, 2024
Shark alerts are issued when a great white shark sighting is confirmed close to a public beach. A Sharktivity notification goes out with each alert.
The app sent out an “acoustic detection” of a great white named “Mr. Pallas” at 1:24 a.m. today. Another “unconfirmed sighting” hit at about the same time, 1:18 a.m., near Orleans.
Mr. Pallas is an 11-foot male white shark seen early and often off the Cape. He’s been detected 3,911 times since being tagged.
Before the shark alerts started popping up, researchers had reminded beachgoers to be safe this week.
“As we head into the holiday weekend here’s a shark safety limerick I made to remind people to be alert and stay safe at the beach. Remember: WHEN THE PURPLE IS OUT, SHARKS ARE ABOUT!!” Chisholm wrote about the purple shark warning flags at beaches.
Real-time acoustic receivers were deployed along the Outer Cape in the last couple of days, according to the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy. These receivers are now along North Beach in Chatham, Nauset Beach in Orleans, Newcomb Hollow Beach in Wellfleet, and Lecount Hollow Beach in Wellfleet.
“Once added to our app, Sharktivity, you can see which tagged white sharks have been detected on these specific receivers,” the Conservancy posted. “It’s important to remember that the real-time receivers can only detect white sharks tagged with acoustic transmitters.
“While the number of pings gives us an idea about the relative amount of shark activity along the coast, a lack of pings does not mean there are no white sharks in the area,” AWSC added. “Please continue to follow safety tips and the advice of lifeguards.”
Great white sharks in recent summers have come here to hunt for seals, feeding on the prey in shallow water close to shore. While white shark bites on humans are rare, they have occurred off the Cape — with the most recent bite, in 2018, resulting in a man’s death.
Some shark safety tips for those heading to the beach include: staying close to shore, avoiding areas where seals are present, staying away from schools of fish, avoiding murky water, limiting splashing, and adhering to flag warnings at beaches.
