The Dorsal Fin

Great white sharks like this one (seen at Isla de Guadalupe) typically spend their time in water temperatures between 60-75 ° F, although evidence has shown that they occasionally venture into colder waters.

UPDATED: Thanks to reader Kevin Polk for the link in the comment section to a CapeLinks Blog article that sheds a lot more light on this story. Most notably that the shark was dead when it was found entangled in the fishing gear, and that the story was kept quiet due to legal concerns due to white sharks being legally protected species.

According to a Cape Cod Times article, a fishing vessel reportedly caught a 20′ (6m) great white shark a few miles off of Chatham, Massachusetts, last month. The capture was reported to Division of Marine Fisheries senior biologist Greg Skomal, who was caught “off-guard” by the news.

Data collected from tagging efforts by Skomal have shown that the tagged great white sharks tended to leave the Chatham area around October or November and spent winter months in the waters off of Florida. Skomal theorized that the bulk of a white shark that large would probably have provided insulation to allow the shark to tolerate the lower water temperatures in the area, which were reported to be in the lower 40s (° F).

The Cape Code Times article does not go into much detail about the capture of the great white shark. There is no mention, in the report, of whether the white shark (a protected species) was released after being caught. There is also no mention of any photographic documentation of the white shark. A 20′ (6m) specimen would be considered very large for the species.

Massachusetts Energy and Environmental Affairs posted two shark tagging videos to their YouTube Channel earlier today. The video above was shot in July 2010 and features Greg Skomal (Senior Biologist) and Dan McKernan (Assistant Director) of Massachusetts’ Division of Marine Fisheries discussing the tagging program, which last year yielded new information about Atlantic great white shark migration patterns.

At least 8 great white sharks were tagged in Massachusetts water this summer (2010). Researchers hope to gain more insight into habitat preferences and migratory patterns from the data that will be recorded as a result of this year’s shark tagging.

In addition to the white shark tagging video, MassEEA also posted a video seen above, which was filmed into 2005 documents the tagging of basking sharks in Cape Cod Bay. The video features some nice surface footage of multiple basking sharks in the bay.

YouTube user yleelawman recently posted the above video of what is described as a great white shark filmed in Stellwagen Bank during a whale watching tour. White sharks have been spotted fairly regularly in the waters off of Massachusetts, during this time of year, when the species is known to commonly migrate to northern waters of the Atlantic.

Update: A reader has commented that the dorsal fin seen in the video seems more characteristic of a basking shark than a white shark. After watching the video again, I’m inclined to agree. Basking sharks are also not uncommon in Massachusetts waters. Just last month a basking shark washed ashore on a Massachusetts beach after being filmed earlier swimming very close to shore.

If any shark experts out there would like to weigh in on the species identification, please let us know in the comments section. Thanks!

A great white shark predation event on a seal was captured on video by a Massachusetts’ family. According to WPRI, the event occurred 20 yards from shore, off the coast of Provincetown last week. Estimates put the white shark at approximately 15′ (4.5m) in length according to the report.

While the WPRI video report refers to the feeding event as “vicious” and “violent,” it is also noted that it is part of “the cycle of life.” Seals often serve as a natural food source for larger great white sharks.

According to NECN, a basking shark, which was first spotted swimming not far from shore on August 19, was later found washed ashore on White Horse Beach in Plymouth, MA.

The basking shark (Cetorhinus maximus), a filter-feeder, is generally considered harmless to humans.