Map shows where great white sharks have been reported off Cape Cod this weekend
It's that time of year at the beaches of Massachusetts when the public is urged to be "shark smart." And there have been numerous sightings of great white sharks over the weekend, mostly off Cape Cod, data shows.
The Atlantic White Shark Conservancy keeps track of great whites in the area via the The app shows where sharks have been spotted based on reports from researchers, public officials and user-submitted photos.
From Friday through mid-day Sunday, there have been more than a dozen shark reports. The blue fin icon indicates that researchers have confirmed the sighing. Here's when and where they happened:
Chatham: On Friday, a white shark was spotted about 30 feet off North Beach Island, traveling south. The next morning, an acoustic receiver detected an 11-foot shark that researchers named "Baobab" in the area. Also on Saturday, a user reported that a shark was seen about 200 feet off North Beach Island and was headed south.
Wellfleet: Early Sunday morning, a nine-foot shark named Pearl was detected by a receiver off Newcomb Hollow Beach in Wellfleet. A few hours later, "Zero" the shark was detected off Lecount Hollow Beach.
Orleans: Peal the shark was also detected early Friday morning near Nauset Beach in Orleans.
Falmouth: An unconfirmed shark sighting was reported in Falmouth Friday at Surf Drive Beach. The report says lifeguards cleared people from the water due to a sighting of an approximately six-foot shark.
Nantucket: There was an unconfirmed shark sighting north of Nantucket's Great Point Beach on Saturday, according to the app.
Monomoy: There were five shark sightings off Monomoy Island on Friday and Saturday. Monomoy is a popular gathering spot for seals, which sharks are known to feast on.
Last week, there were two documented sightings of great white sharks off the coast of Maine, prompting a warning for swimmers and beachgoers. Earlier this month, Crane Beach in Ipswich on the North Shore said it would be stepping up shark monitoring this summer to keep swimmers safe after a series of shark sightings last fall.