Sharing the shore - The sharks on Cape Cod

A great white shark. Photo Credit Terry Goss on Wikipedia.

For the first time in over 80 years, someone has died from a shark attack on Cape Cod. It's a terrible tragedy, and one that will have people nervous to dip their toes in the water. As we have heard about great white sharks returning to the Cape in greater numbers than before, the area has had to decide what it means for tourism, for humans, for the environment, and for the future. With the return of sharks, we have seen a rejuvenating ecosystem, a snippet of the ocean returning to a healthy balance it is designed to have. People can bemoan the return of the sharks, but we know exactly why they have returned to the Cape: seals.

Right now grey and harbor seals are thriving on Cape Cod, but there was a time when the species' future was threatened in New England. The seals used to be routinely hunted, with a bounty even offered in Massachusetts of $5 per seal. They were seen as a nuisance, stealing fishermen's catch and taking up beach space. This, however, all ended with the Marine Mammal Protection Act in 1972. While it has been difficult to estimate exactly how many seals are now in New England, the numbers have clearly increased, and the grey seal population in Nova Scotia, which can spill into New England, is reported to have grown "exponentially." In New England, the seal population may have tripled. This is great news! It is a tale of protection enabling recovery of a species at a time when so many animals are struggling. It also means a boost in the economy for those in the tourist industry. Seals are a crowd pleaser, and boats that offer seal watching have been selling out. Since animal populations are often linked to others, however, the recovering seal population has helped other animals recover. Enter the great white shark.

A grey seal pup. Photo credit Alastair Ray on Wikimedia Commons.

A seal is a perfect meal for a great white. It's thick layer of blubber, meant to keep it warm, is a fat delicious meal for a shark. With increasing numbers of seals, more sharks can eat and survive, and that is what we are seeing happening on the Cape. Regardless of the seal's protected status, it's one of the reasons tourists are encouraged to stay away from seals and not swim with them. Swimming with a seal puts you in a shark's version of a buffet. It won't be looking for you, but it could find you anyway.

According to the Cape Cod Commission, about 5.23 million tourists visit the Cape annually, with 65% showing up in the summer months. That's about 3.4 million people coming to the Cape every summer. Presumably, a large number of them visit the beach at least once. This is the first fatal attack in 82 years, meaning the odds of dying from a shark on the Cape are insanely low. Chances are, however, these kinds of numbers won't alleviate the fear people feel when they hear about a shark attack. We hear that traveling by plane is one of the safest methods of travel, and yet many of us still get queasy when we are up in the air.

Seal sunbathing on South Monomoy Island. Photo credit Keith Shannon from
the US Fish and Wildlife Service on Wikimedia Commons.

Right now, we are seeing the results of our actions. Years ago, we decided to make an investment in protecting the ocean by protecting seals. This action has been incredibly successful. The fact that not only the seals have increased but that sharks have increased is a sign that the ecosystem is returning to a healthy balance. With the exception of us humans, great white sharks are at the top of the food web. The fact that the ecosystem can support sharks shows a kind of robustness that is good news for the smaller species involved as well, the kind that we may be fishing and eating. But what it does mean is that we have to be conscious about sharing the ocean. We can decide where to swim and how to do it, but sharks have no choice but to be in the sea.

The good news is that there are people actively having this discussion every day and working with local people and businesses to find the best way to share the shore. The Atlantic White Shark Conservancy focus on sharks specifically in New England, while OCEARCH tags sharks and tracks them around the world. They even create Twitter accounts for some of their sharks like Hilton, keeping people up to date on the interesting places the sharks swim to. It's an important reminder that while we only hear about sharks when there is an attack, most of a shark's life has no direct human interaction.

If you are still concerned, here are some things to keep in mind the next time you visit the seashore:

1. Never swim where you see seals.
2. Stay closer to shore, wading only up to your waste. 
3. Swim in groups.
4. Do not swim at dusk or dawn.
5. In the unlikely event that you see a shark coming toward you, punch it in the nose. Seriously. Their noses are very sensitive and the sharks aren't looking for a fight.
6. Look for signs. At beaches on the Cape where sharks have been spotted, the Atlantic White Shark conservancy posts notices and advice about keeping yourself safe. Follow it.

Did you say shark? Photo Credit Andrew Reding at Flickr.

Most of all though, remember that you are not on a shark's menu. A great white wants a fat, juicy, blubbery seal. Finding you would be a bony and ultimately unsatisfying mistake for the shark. Most shark bites are simply that: a mistake. Ultimately, a shark wants nothing to do with you. With that in mind, try to enjoy the beach.