Every summer here in Cape Cod, we welcome visitors from all over the world to enjoy our beautiful National Seashore beaches and take in everything the Cape has to offer. However, over the past couple of years we have welcomed some unexpected visitors, those being Great White Sharks. Due to the growing seal population, the Great Whites have traveled here as the waters are filled with great food for them to prey on. In the three main summer months, June, July, and August, there were over 120 shark sightings here on Cape Cod, many of them in the Orleans and Chatham area. While working on Nauset Beach, it was just about every day that we saw a spotter plane directing a boat in the water on where the shark was, in order to tag and track it.

However, this is no reason to be alarmed. Shark attacks are extremely rare, and in the event that one does happen, people often walk away with minor injuries. The National Seashore also does a great job of alerting people and keeping them out of the water if a shark is nearby. In addition, the sharks are not really interested in us humans, as there are plenty of seals for them to focus their attention on. If you still don’t feel safe, you can check out the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy’s Sharktivity App for some tips on Shark Safety.