Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water.... Cape Cod holiday-makers told to beware as 16ft great white shark is spotted off coast
The first great white shark of the Cape Cod summer season has been photographed just 50 yards from the coast off Chatham.
The 16-foot shark, estimated to weigh more than 2,000 pounds, was seen hunting seals near the shore by the Cape Cod Shark Hunters.Now, honestly, this is much ado about nothing - a 16 foot Great White is really on the smaller side. They really do make it as far north as Cape Cod and the islands - remember, Martha's Vineyard is where they filmed "Jaws" - and I've been on the beach when there has been an "out of the water" alarm because of a Great White sighting. While they generally stay further south because of the water temperatures, they will go where the food is - and there are a *lot* of seals up this way.
Seriously, though, go read the comments to the article. A good number take them to task over the size of the shark - for Great Whites, 16 feet is barely a "medium" size. There's plenty of snark over the confluence of "Massachusetts" and "sharks" - references to the MA legislature and Ted Kennedy - frequently spotted offshore around Martha's Vineyard in the old days. And, of course, 185 references to Jaws...
Dun-dun. Dun-dun. DundundundunDAAAAAH!
That is all.
6 comments:
To be fair, while there have been Great whites tagged and caught in the low 30s, 11-18ft is the standard size for an adult shark in this species.
Also agree this is a standing headline. Several big whites are ALWAYS spotted off Mass beaches EVERY YEAR!
Its ecology and where the fish live. Its not that big a deal.
Still smart move not to swim when one is spotted, because while attacks are rare, its smart not to tempt fate.
Go swimming, go swimming... "They" will protect you... (whomever 'they' is)... :-)
16 ft is still plenty big enough to eat your ass. Which is why I stay out of the ocean, or within 20 ft of it or so. Ever see that video of the killer whale that come up onto the friggin beach to get a seal?
I am a long time scuba diver and underwater photographer. I can assure you that the proximity of even an 8 foot shark swimming in circles around you will remind you that you are no longer at the top of the food chain. Most are just curious - - but some - - - well are not friendly.
I have always understood that whites like cooler water, as that's where most of the food that their food eats lives.
It's the return of the sea mammals that is making them more visible in places they haven't been seen for years is what I've heard.
Whites are semi-warm-blooded and prefer cooler waters. They don't like the cold waters, so you don't ever see them in the gulf of Maine in the winter (occasionally one will make it that far north in the Summer, and there are Makos galore)
But they don't like the tropical waters, too warm for them.
Post a Comment