The Latest Coastal Town Where Great Whites Have Been Spotted

Summer on New England’s North Atlantic coast conjures salty breezes, striped umbrellas, and ice cream stands, all set against a backdrop of crashing waves. Coastal communities from Cape Cod to Nantucket are bustling with tourists, drawn by the region’s temperate waters. However, this same area lies within the migratory range of the great white shark (Carcharodon carcharias), so sightings of these behemoths are not uncommon. As climate change fuels warming ocean waters, smooth hammerhead sharks (Sphyrna zygaena), which were once found only in more southern coastal regions, are now being sighted with increasing frequency. Continue reading to discover where these sharks are being spotted, the dangers they pose to beachgoers, and the technology used to monitor them.

Great White Shark: Overview

Great white sharks are the largest predatory fish species in the ocean. Adults average 15-20 feet in length, while calves are between four and five feet long at birth. These colossal creatures typically weigh between 1,150 and 1,700 pounds, but mature females, which are significantly larger than males, can reach up to 2,450 pounds. Great whites are generally solitary animals, although they are known to form pairs or small groups around large food sources. They are highly adaptable and intelligent, relying on a combination of senses, including sight, smell, and electroreception, to find their prey, which includes various marine fish and seabirds. However, great whites primarily feed on seals.

Popular media, most notably the 1975 Universal Pictures release Jaws, which was filmed on Martha’s Vineyard and set in a fictional New England town, has contributed to the notion that great white sharks are aggressive beasts with a penchant for human flesh. Despite this reputation, great white sharks rarely attack humans. The likelihood of being bitten by a great white shark is far lower than that of being injured in more common coastal activities, including walking on hot, uneven, shifting sand.

Smooth Hammerhead Sharks

Although it is substantially smaller than the great white, the smooth hammerhead shark is the second-largest hammerhead species after the great hammerhead (Sphyrna mokarran). Smooth hammerheads measure between 8.2 and 11.5 feet in length and weigh up to 880 pounds. They are readily distinguishable from other sharks by their flattened, laterally extended, hammer-shaped head, known as a cephalofoil. In this species, the cephalofoil is uniquely smooth and lacks an indentation in the center.

Smooth hammerheads are solitary hunters. However, during their annual migration, they gather in large pods that can include hundreds or even thousands of individuals. Smooth hammerheads feed on a variety of prey, including bony fish, rays, other sharks (even smaller members of their own species), cephalopods, and crustaceans. While smooth hammerheads are classified as potentially dangerous due to their size and strength, they rarely attack humans. The International Shark Attack File lists 18 unprovoked attacks across all hammerhead species. The smooth hammerhead is just one of several species within the genus Sphyrna.

Great Whites and Smooth Hammerheads in New England

Both great white sharks and smooth hammerhead sharks have been sighted in the North Atlantic, off the coast of Massachusetts, specifically in the Vineyard Sound around Cuttyhunk Island. Smooth hammerhead sharks, which are much less common, have also been reported by fishermen and boaters in the area.

The region lies along the great white shark migration route and regularly experiences sightings of these behemoths. However, smooth hammerheads have historically foraged farther south in the summer. Does the increased presence of these species in the waters around Massachusetts indicate a possible shift in their distribution?

Dr. A. Peter Klimley, one of the U.S.’s preeminent hammerhead shark experts, isn’t convinced. “The smooth hammerhead occupies temperate waters at times, unlike most of the other 9 hammerhead species,” Klimley says. “Weather patterns change from year to year, affecting the distribution of marine species,” he continues. “This can be very regional,” Klimley says. “Yes, it is hot on the East Coast, but it’s been a cool spring and summer on the West Coast.”

Whether the North Atlantic continues to see smooth hammerhead sharks in the future depends on annual weather patterns. But while annual weather patterns can fluctuate dramatically, the long-term trend points clearly toward warming air and ocean temperatures. As ocean waters warm due to climate change and the preferred temperature range of smooth hammerheads shifts, the North Atlantic is likely to see more of these sharks during the summer as their range expands northward.

Monitoring

Thanks to 21st-century technology, beachgoers and boaters are safer than ever from the already rare threat of shark attacks. Many of these technologies can alert boaters and swimmers to the presence of sharks in real-time. SPOT tags (Smart Position and Temperature Transmitting tags), designed by OCEARCH, provide real-time monitoring of sharks and other marine animals. The tags are attached to the shark’s dorsal fin and transmit location data when the fin breaks the surface of the water. OCEARCH, a nonprofit organization, uses satellite and acoustic tracking to monitor sharks, providing information about their movements, migrations, and interactions with their environment. They have tagged approximately 371 sharks, including 126 great white sharks and 18 hammerhead sharks (three great hammerhead sharks and 15 of other hammerhead species).

Sonar buoys, like Clever Buoy, AI-powered drones, such as Shark-Eye, and aerial surveillance by helicopters and planes are also used to detect sharks in real-time.

Therefore, while great white sharks and smooth hammerhead sharks are being seen more frequently in the North Atlantic, there is little reason for concern. These sea creatures already pose minimal threat, and real-time alerts make encounters even less likely.

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