The image, showing an up-close glimpse of the apex predator swimming through clear water, was published to Twitter by the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy, a scientific research organization that studies movements and behaviors of the species.
“We often refer to views of white sharks off the coast of Cape Cod as ‘purple smudges’ since the water can be murky, making them challenging to see,” the group wrote in a caption alongside the image of the massive fish. “This image of a white shark is an example of the opposite, when the water is clear and the views are stunning!”
Researchers said the picture was taken a couple of weeks ago from an eco-tourism boat off of Chatham, a seaside town located in Barnstable County.
On Twitter, a biologist claimed to recognize the exact shark in question, identifying it as “Large Marge,” officially WS12-07, based on markings on the pelvic and dorsal fins.
WHDH reported that several beaches were briefly closed to swimmers yesterday after the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy’s Sharktivity app showed multiple sharks in the region, which is known to be frequented by a wide variety of the species.
Newcomb Hollow Beach in Wellfleet was shut in the morning as two shark tags pinged, while a third shark was logged in the afternoon. Cahoon Hollow Beach was also closed temporarily after a shark was spotted close to the shore by a helicopter crew.
The state’s shark research program, a unit of the Division of Marine Fisheries, says it has tagged and tracked the movements of a variety of species since 1989, including whale sharks, blue sharks, tiger sharks, hammerheads and shortfin makos.
Its studies into great whites, partially funded by The Atlantic White Shark Conservancy, indicate seasonal sightings off the coast have increased in recent years, likely because the area is also home to a growing population of gray seals.
The program has tagged over 120 white sharks off the eastern coast of Cape Cod since 2009, with data suggesting movements are broader than previously thought.
“When they leave Cape Cod in the late fall, they migrate to overwintering habitat off the southeastern US and Gulf of Mexico. Larger white sharks (>9 ft.) move into the open Atlantic to as far as the Azores, while diving to depths as great as 3,000 ft. Many of the tagged white sharks return to Cape Cod each year,” the department says.
Earlier this month, August 3, a Massachusetts State Police helicopter crew that scopes out waters used by swimmers off Cape Cod caught video footage of a white shark that was estimated at 10-feet-long, and released the clip via its social media account.
