Shark researchers off Cape Cod tagged 19 white sharks in October, marking a busy month
CHATHAM - So far in 2023, the team at the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy has tagged 34 white sharks off Cape Cod. Nineteen of those sharks have been tagged in October.
The fall, with its unusually warm days and sunshine, is providing researchers with ideal conditions. The summer was a disappointment. "The weather's really hurt us," Dr. Greg Skomal explains.
When it is stormy, the spotter pilot can't fly. The pilot's role is to watch, from above, for sharks he can easily spot in shallow water. He then uses radio transmissions to direct the team on the boat to the animal. Low visibility makes flying impossible. Stormy conditions also churn up the water making it very challenging for the team in the boat to see the sharks.
Dr. Skomal, a biologist with the state's Division of Marine Fisheries, is ecstatic about the number of sightings and tagging this month. He can't hide his excitement. "Every day on the water is like the most amazing day," he said. "It's like my first! I love this! I'm passionate about this. It's my job. I love it. It's my life!"
WBZ's Lisa Hughes and videographer Terry McNamara spent a day with the AWSC team off Chatham. In just over five hours, they saw 10 sharks and tagged four. (The record for taggings in a single day is six.)
The Outer Cape is considered a white shark "hotspot." That means it is an aggregation site with a high number of sharks. The sharks typically arrive in late-spring and stay until mid-November when they move south to warmer waters. The researchers know they only have about a month to study these apex predators before the sharks head toward Florida and the Carolinas.
They are observing sharks that they have previously tagged (Dr. Skomal shoots video of every shark with a GoPro camera) to check for new or distinct markings. Tagging a shark for the first time (an animal that isn't in the database) is particularly exciting. AWSC has cataloged more than 600 sharks and tagged more than 300 since it funded its first tagging trips in 2013.
What's changed since those early days of tagging off Massachusetts? Dr. Skomal says people have far more access to information and education. "Through vectors like the conservancy, the information gets out to the public," he said. Public safety is a key part of the conservancy's mission.
AWSC co-founder Cynthia Wigren points to a "haul out" of grey seals. Sharks can go as long as two weeks without eating. But seals, with their high fat content, are their food of choice. The seals stay in Massachusetts year-round.
What started as a slow season is picking up in the final weeks. "When the days are good, they are absolutely amazing," Captain John King explains. "The big attraction is-the bigger fish show up! The bigger fish-they move slower. They're more majestic."
Like AWSC, King is celebrating his tenth anniversary with the organization. He custom-built the boat to meet Dr. Skomal's research needs and never tires of the adventure. When the sharks arrive in late spring, King is ready to work. "My whole life stops in June and picks up after the season," King said. "I live for this time of year!"