Tag: Great white sharks

Great white sharks arrive, research begins off Cape Cod

The tagging of three great white sharks Wednesday off Cape Cod marked an early start to the 2020 research season.

The tagging of three great white sharks Wednesday off Cape Cod marked an early start to the 2020 research season.

The sharks were feeding on a whale carcass off Monomoy Island when they were tagged by Dr. Greg Skomal of the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries, in partnership with the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy.

Great white sharks begin to arrive off Cape Cod in June, to prey on gray seals, but peak shark activity is late summer though early fall.

Last year, scientists tagged a record 50 white sharks, beginning with the tagging of 15 sharks in July and ending with the tagging of seven sharks in November.

RELATED: Baby great white shark grabs spotlight on whale-watching trip

The seasonal influx of white sharks coincides with the start of the Cape Cod tourism season, creating a dangerous situation. (Last summer, shark sightings prompted several temporary beach closures.)

The current research project, which began last year, focuses on white shark movements and behaviors off Cape Cod. Mass Live reports that scientists are hoping that data can be used to minimize potential shark-human encounters.

According to NBC Boston, another white shark was spotted from the air on Wednesday afternoon. The shark was estimated to measure about 15 feet.

–Images showing white sharks off Cape Cod on Wednesday are courtesy of the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy

Baby great white shark grabs spotlight on whale-watching trip

Whale watchers out of Newport Beach last week enjoyed a bonus sighting in the form of a newborn great white shark that swam near the boat.

Whale watchers out of Newport Beach last Tuesday enjoyed a bonus sighting in the form of a newborn great white shark that swam alongside the vessel for several minutes.

The accompanying video footage and still images were captured from aboard the Newport Legacy by Delaney Trowbridge for Davey’s Locker Sportfishing and Whale Watching.

Trowbridge told For The Win Outdoors that the encounter with the 3- to 4-foot shark occurred one mile off Crystal Cove State Park in Laguna Beach.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4BOEjlEaK4]

“It was an unbelievably lucky moment,” she said. “We almost never see sharks at the surface, and when we do the conditions are usually not nice enough to get a clear view of the animal. You usually just see a few inches or less of the dorsal fin.”

RELATED: Anglers in awe as ‘ginormous’ great white shark circles boat

Also, small white sharks spook easily, but Trowbridge added, “This shark was very relaxed with us.”

Asked to confirm the ID, Chris Lowe, Director of the Shark Lab at California State University – Long Beach, told FTW Outdoors: “Looks like a white shark to me and based on its swimming pattern and body shape, I would say relatively newborn.

Lowe added, “There is a lot of shark activity along the coast right now, all juveniles and a lot of young-of-the-year (born this spring).”

Adult white sharks, which can measure to about 20 feet, typically prey on seals and sea lions near island rookeries. It’s not known precisely where they give birth.

Juvenile white sharks, which are on their own since birth, spend a lot of time in shallow coastal waters, where they feed on rays and other bottom fishes.

These are the sharks most commonly featured in video footage captured by drone operators.

However, sightings of newborn white sharks are rare, especially from aboard whale-watching boats, which typically operate well beyond the surf zone.

Said Trowbridge: “This one just calmly cruised beside us and everyone on board was completely amazed by just how well you could see this animal.

“Eventually we had to keep moving, though, and left it behind us. But within a half-hour we had come across over 1,000 common dolphins, two humpback whales, and thousands of birds.”

–Images and video courtesy of ©Delaney Trowbridge/Davey’s Locker Sportfishing & Whale Watching 

Kobe Bryant once swam with sharks; now one bears his name

There’s not much to say about Kobe Bryant that isn’t already known, but how many of his fans know that he was fascinated by sharks?

There’s not much to say about Kobe Bryant that isn’t already known, but how many of his fans know that the late NBA superstar was fascinated by sharks?

So fascinated that in the summer of 2013, while recovering from a torn achilles tendon, Bryant traveled to Mexico’s Guadalupe Island to dive with great white sharks.

Martin Graf of Shark Diver told FTW Outdoors that the Los Angeles Lakers’ star enjoyed close views of two white sharks while inside the cage, and afterward soaked up the magical atmosphere surrounding the vast and remote volcanic island, 150 miles west of Ensenada.

Kobe Bryant with Martin Graf at Guadalupe Island. Photo: Shark Diver

“It was nice having a conversation with him that had nothing to do with basketball or him being famous,” Graf recalled. “Just a couple of guys talking about sharks.”

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Graf shared an amusing side note: Bryant’s feet were too big for the wetsuit booties Shark Diver clients use, so he plunged into the cage wearing his Nike shoes (see photo).

This week, the Marine Conservation Science Institute, which maintains a photo-database of 300-plus great white sharks known to frequent Guadalupe waters, announced that it was naming a newly identified shark Kobe Bryant.

Additionally, MCSI has “reallocated” the shark into the No. 24 spot in the catalog, to coincide with the number Bryant wore for much of his 20-year Lakers’ career.

Kobe Bryant merges from shark cage wearing Nike shoes. Photo: Shark Diver

“We did prepare a press release, but then I pulled the plug on that because I did not want any perception that we’re using Kobe’s tragic death as a way to gain publicity,” Michael Domeier, MCSI’s president and executive director, told FTW Outdoors. “I don’t want it to be about that. We’re just showing our respect and honoring him in a small way.”

As most of the world knows, Bryant, 41, died along with eight others, including his 13-year-old daughter, in a helicopter crash on Jan. 26 in Calabasas, California.

The 18-time All-Star played his entire NBA career with the Lakers, winning five championships, and is widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time.

–Images are courtesy of Shark Diver

Great white sharks show off Hilton Head; first catch is ‘perfect’

Great white sharks that generated so many headlines off Cape Cod during the summer and fall are beginning to show off South Carolina.

Great white sharks that generated so many headlines off Cape Cod during the summer are beginning to show off South Carolina.

Capt. Chip Michalove of Outcast Sport Fishing logged his first tag-and-release of the season Sunday off Hilton Head, involving a young female shark that “took off like a bullet” after the hook was removed.

“She originally grabbed the bait right behind the boat, but missed the hook,” Michalove explained on Facebook. “About an hour later she came back more aggressive and took it all. Perfect hook set and perfect tag application.”

And perfect photo.

The junior apex predator measured only 8 feet, but opened wide to reveal a classic set of great white shark choppers before she was set free, allowing for a spectacular image capture (top and bottom images).

Salt Creek Outfitters accompanied Michalove to gather footage for a documentary and afterward stated, “Man are we glad we did, this shark put on a show for us yesterday and she wasn’t afraid to show off her smile, either.”

Michalove, who has a scientific permit to tag white sharks, told For The Win Outdoors that white sharks are just beginning to arrive off Hilton Head.

“They’re right on time this winter,” he said. “The water is much colder than usual so I was curious if they already went by.”

Michalove said early arrivals tend to be juveniles, with adult sharks showing a bit later and ranging “for a few months” between South Carolina and Florida.

“By Christmas or early January we get a 14- to 16-footer, like clockwork,” the captain said.

The sharks do not have thousands of seals on which to prey, as they do during the summer feeding months in coastal waters off Cape Cod. Michalove said they’re more opportunistic beyond Hilton Head, “looking for anything sick, dying or weak to eat.”

–Images showing the great white shark caught and released Sunday are courtesy of Outcast Sport Fishing and Salt Creek Outfitters