Where the White Sharks Went

In 2010, 6 great white sharks were tagged off Monomoy Island. Five of these sharks were implanted with pop-up satellite tags and just last week I got an email from the MA Office of Energy and Environmental affairs detailing the movements of these sharks since last summer.

After several months, the tags were supposed to release from the fish and float to the surface where they would relay data such as migration route, depth and water temperature via satellite. Three of the five malfunctioned with two deploying early (one off Monomoy in September and one off Hatteras in October) and one did not report at all. The tags that remained with the shark recording data for the duration popped up in the Gulf of Mexico and 200 miles off the Georgia coast in January and April respectively. The tag that popped up off Georgia was from an 18-foot female shark that dove to depths of 2,700 feet every day.

Scientists speculate that the increase in shark sightings in Cape waters over the past few years is directly related to the growing gray seal population. No surprise there.

We’re in the thick of white shark season on Cape Cod, and there will likely be a number of sightings between now and September while water temperatures are in the optimal range for the whites. A fun way to follow white shark sightings in Cape waters is through the Cape Cod Shark Hunters website. The shark hunters use a spotter plane to locate sharks in the Monomoy and Chatham areas which then relays the shark’s location to a tagging boat.