Massachusetts will see an influx of white sharks during the Memorial Day weekend, warns the New England Aquarium.
The Boston-based New England Aquarium recently encouraged the public to be vigilant about potential shark encounters as the summer season gets underway, as reported in a press release on Thursday.
The aquarium's marine biologists have observed multiple marine mammals with shark bite wounds along the Massachusetts coastline, according to the press release.
During the summer and fall, white sharks flock to New England's coastal waters to hunt for seals and other marine life, the aquarium revealed in a Facebook post. As temperatures rise, scientists predict an increasing number of sharks in the area.
Though no photographs of white sharks have been captured this season yet, the aquarium stated on Facebook that up to 15 different shark species live in New England's waters, with white sharks known to make a significant appearance in the area.
A few hundred seals have been spotted near local beaches, and two short sightings of white sharks have been observed in Cape Cod by an aerial survey, the aquarium shared on Facebook.
While white shark activity usually increases in May, John Chisholm, an adjunct scientist at the aquarium's Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life, told CNN that this occurrence is not at all unusual.
"We actually had a white shark eat a seal in front of whale watchers last year at this time," Chisholm said via email. "It's nothing surprising," he added.
This week, a fishing charter company recorded a minke whale suffering from a shark bite off Chatham, Massachusetts, while Chisholm also took pictures of a freshly shark-attacked seal in Plymouth, Massachusetts, the aquarium reported.
Chisholm advised people to review shark safety guidelines and remain prudent when swimming in waters where fish schools or seals are visible in order to avoid shark encounters, the release stated. In addition, the aquarium suggested staying near the shoreline for easier access to assistance from emergency responders.
Individuals who come across sharks can report spotting them using the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy's Sharktivity app, per the conservancy and the aquarium's recommendations.
A study conducted in 2023 estimated the population size of white sharks in the Cape Cod area to be approximately 800 individuals between 2015 and 2018.
Though unprovoked shark bites are fairly scarce globally, the number of deaths caused by these attacks rose last year, mainly due to white shark bites. Three of those fatalities occurred in Australia, with one death in California, the Florida Museum of Natural History's International Shark Attack File reported.
Read also:
- Year of climate records: extreme is the new normal
- Precautionary arrests show Islamist terror threat
- UN vote urges Israel to ceasefire
- SPD rules out budget resolution before the end of the year
The New England Aquarium urged US residents in Massachusetts to be cautious during the Memorial Day weekend due to the expected increase in white shark sightings. Following the aquarium's warnings, beachgoers should consider the suggested shark safety guidelines to minimize potential encounters while enjoying the coastal waters.
Source: edition.cnn.com
