Marine conservationists in Massachusetts spotted a great white shark they had once tagged swimming in the waters of Cape Cod on Thursday morning, June 16.
According to the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy, the visitor turned out to be "Scratchy," a 13-foot male great white that was fitted with an electronic tracker on to monitor its activity in August. However, he was first identified by the Massachusetts Marine Fisheries Department back in 2014.
Conservationists gave the ocean predator the nickname because of the many scratches on his side, likely as a result of encounters with seals.
While great white sharks are not known to frequent the waters of the Atlantic Ocean, the state marine fisheries division said several of the ocean predators have been seen swimming around Monomoy Island, which is located off the coast of Chatham, Cape Cod. The area is known for its large population of gray seals.
Marine researchers have identified and tagged as many as 80 great white sharks off the coast of Cape Cod from 2009 to 2015.
New Hub For Great White Sharks
Because of Cape Cod's growing seal population, scientists believe the region could very well become a new hub for predatory great white sharks.
Owen Nichols, a marine biologist who has studied seals for 15 years, said the marine mammals have experienced a population boom over the last few decades.
Nichols explained that seals were virtually exterminated from Cape Cod waters right up until the 1960s. He said that what is happening right now is that the marine mammals are beginning to recolonize the region, which could bring a resurgence of seals.
Before the implementation of the Marine Mammal Protection Act in 1972, seal sightings in the region were very rare. The marine mammals were often hunted by locals before they were declared protected by the federal government.
However, the return of the seals in droves is also attracting many sharks to the area to look for food. Researchers say they have spotted 68 great white sharks around Cape Cod in 2014. This figure ballooned to 140 individual sharks in 2015.
The hordes of seals are also a cause of concern for local fishermen as they have been consuming too many of available fish stock in the region.
Earlier in the week, a team from the National Geographic Magazine, including wildlife photographer Brian Skerry, scoured the murky green waters of Cape Cod to capture images of the great whites in the area.
The ocean predators are the subject of an upcoming article on the magazine, which is set to focus on the region as a potential gathering area for great whites.
Photo: Elias Levy | Flickr
