Shark Seekers On Fundraising Expedition Get Close To Great Whites Off Mass. Coast
So far this year, Dr. Greg Skomal and his team of researchers have identified 80 individual great white sharks off Cape Cod. They're among the most fascinating (and frightening) animals in our waters. But aside from researchers, few people ever get to see them. That may explain why so many people jumped at the chance to join a fundraising expedition sponsored by the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy. WBZ-TV's Lisa Hughes and photographer, William Meservey were among 164 passengers who sailed out of Plymouth, fingers crossed, hoping to see the sharks.
BOSTON (CBS) - It was a perfect late-summer day. Light wind. Bright sunshine. Low humidity. I have been fascinated by sharks since my brother and I fought over Jacques Cousteau books. The shark pages were stained with the fingerprints of kids so entranced by the creatures with the big teeth, they scarcely looked at anything else. William's also a "shark nut" and shoots most of our shark stories off Chatham. For both of us, this was a dream assignment.
The first surprise of the trip was that renowned shark expert, Dr. Greg Skomal was on board. For eight hours, he shared his knowledge and enthusiasm while talking—via two-way radio--with spotter pilot, Wayne Davis. Davis had already spotted nine Great White sharks between Eastham and Provincetown. The boat headed toward Long Nook Beach in Truro.
Along the way, a dorsal fin sent hearts racing. But it wasn't a shark. Skomal quickly pointed out that we were looking at a mola mola, also known as giant sunfish. The fish is the size of a picnic table and appears to be no more than a humongous head with fins. During the eight-hour trip, we would see about a half dozen of these strange fish. But after the first sighting, we knew what not to look for when scanning the water for sharks. "You will not see a dorsal fin," Skomal explained. "Look for a shadow in the water. A grey shadow." Dorsal fins, he explained, are for "Hollywood sharks." But would we actually see a shadow? We got our answer in no time.
Davis radioed in with information about a shark near Truro. With every passenger leaning toward the water, the shadow eventually came into view. It was breathtaking! People on board were actually cheering when the 14-foot great white swam under the boat. When it emerged on the other side, more cheering. It was one of three sharks we saw by noon. Skomal was beaming. "To actually show these folks White Sharks and to see their reaction…I'm watching them!"
While the state pays Skomal's salary, it does not pay for his shark research. For that, he relies on private donations and grants. These days, he has a powerful partner Cynthia Wigren. In 2009, Wigren and her husband traveled to South Africa to see great whites on a cage dive. Wigren confesses, she was terrified. "I was incredibly nervous about getting in the water with a white shark." More incredibly, upon slipping into the water and actually observing the sharks, she was mesmerized. "To see one up close and personal completely changed my perceptions on the shark." She returned to New England, searched "how to start a non-profit" using Google, and--after a conversation with Skomal in 2012--launched the engine that now fuels his research. Wigren was also on board the expedition and delighted in watching passengers react to seeing the sharks. Passenger Randi Katz couldn't hide her emotions. "This just brought tears to my eyes…these are our sharks and we want to protect them."
Skomal points to comments like that as proof that attitudes toward sharks are changing. Not that long ago, he says, people would have wanted to kill the sharks they now try to save. "I see it change people's lives when they see a 12-, 13-, 14-foot predator swim by. Most of us see these things on TV. But to see it in person really changes you."
The expedition was co-sponsored by Whale and Dolphin Conservation. And despite our excitement for the sharks, whales in the area were not about to be upstaged. At Stellwagen Bank, three humpback whales (two adults and a juvenile) put on an incredible show just off the boat. We learned that when their tails (flukes) slip beneath the water, what's left on the surface is known as a "fluke print." Cruising back to shore, the feeling on board was sheer elation. We left in the morning hoping to see sharks. We returned with an incredible scorecard: three sharks, six humpback whales and two minke whales. Beyond that, we spent an entire day in one of the world's most scenic places with experts whose passion made us appreciate, even more, the mysterious beauty of great white sharks.
The last WHITE SHARKS & WHALES EXPEDITION sails out of Plymouth on Saturday, September 19th. For more information: http://www.atlanticwhiteshark.org/events/