Cape shark researchers have tagged more than 20 great whites so far this season: ‘A much sharkier season right now’
Cape Cod shark researchers have tagged more than 20 great whites so far this year, as scientists still come across many untagged apex predators after a decade of pursuing them around the region.
Overall, researchers with the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy have put out 250 tags since their research began in 2010. Meanwhile, more than 500 sharks have been identified through the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy’s underwater video footage population study program.
“We’re still trying to figure out how many great white sharks there are along the Cape every year,” Maddie Poirier, ecotourism naturalist for the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy, told the Herald on a shark spotting boat on Sunday.
“We come across a lot of untagged sharks,” she said during the White Shark Expedition. “There are a lot of sharks that we have identified through the underwater study that are not tagged, and there are a lot of sharks that we have tagged that we haven’t identified through video footage yet.”
The research team has deployed more than 20 acoustic tags so far this season. During a recent day, the scientists took advantage of a shiver of sharks feasting on a dead whale and tagged five of those sharks off of Provincetown.
“We’ve had some really good days this summer,” Poirier said. “It’s pretty exciting for us.”
The more than 20 acoustic tags that the researchers have deployed this season let scientists know when the shark swims near one of their buoys.
In addition to the acoustic tags, the researchers have put out six CATS tags — a special tag that has a camera in it. Those tags stay on a shark for 24 to 48 hours before they pop off, sending a satellite signal for the researchers to then go retrieve it from the water.
“Those will give us some really incredible video footage, basically from the sharks’ point of view,” Poirier said. “We can learn a lot of new information from those tags about where that shark is going, how it’s moving, and maybe get some evidence to help us learn about predation.”
The peak activity for great white shark detections is from August to October. Last year, there were 55,954 detections in August, followed by 27,453 detections in September and 21,006 detections in October. There were 16,431 detections last July.
Poirier said, “It’s a much sharkier season right now.”
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