• Latest
  • Trending
  • All
  • News
  • Lifestyle
‘They’re Not Looking for Us.’ Experts Say Sharks Might Mistake Humans for Seals When They Attack thumbnail

‘They’re Not Looking for Us.’ Experts Say Sharks Might Mistake Humans for Seals When They Attack

July 31, 2020
A year after Hurricane Helene, communities still wait for federal reimbursements thumbnail

A year after Hurricane Helene, communities still wait for federal reimbursements

September 26, 2025
Why some memories stick while others fade thumbnail

Why some memories stick while others fade

September 26, 2025
Republicans and NJ gov. candidate Jack Ciattarelli hammer Mikie Sherrill over asset gains while in Congress: ’She’s tripled her net worth’ thumbnail

Republicans and NJ gov. candidate Jack Ciattarelli hammer Mikie Sherrill over asset gains while in Congress: ’She’s tripled her net worth’

September 24, 2025
States rally to offset fracturing of federal healthcare agencies: ‘Diseases don’t see state lines’ thumbnail

States rally to offset fracturing of federal healthcare agencies: ‘Diseases don’t see state lines’

September 22, 2025
Jared Kushner Is Now A Billionaire thumbnail

Jared Kushner Is Now A Billionaire

September 18, 2025
Airbnb Launches New Feature to Enhance Water Safety Awareness for Guests thumbnail

Airbnb Launches New Feature to Enhance Water Safety Awareness for Guests

September 18, 2025
Researchers successfully heal rats’ broken spines  thumbnail

Researchers successfully heal rats’ broken spines 

September 16, 2025
Democrats Cannot Just Buy Back the Working Class thumbnail

Democrats Cannot Just Buy Back the Working Class

September 16, 2025
Kalshi ‘ready to defend’ prediction markets amid Massachusetts lawsuit thumbnail

Kalshi ‘ready to defend’ prediction markets amid Massachusetts lawsuit

September 14, 2025
Republicans move to change Senate rules to speed confirmation of some nominees thumbnail

Republicans move to change Senate rules to speed confirmation of some nominees

September 11, 2025
The most troubling feature of the job market is how thinly spread gains are, top economist says — ‘this only happens when the economy is in recession’ thumbnail

The most troubling feature of the job market is how thinly spread gains are, top economist says — ‘this only happens when the economy is in recession’

September 9, 2025
What We Learned from Raiders' Road Win Over the Patriots thumbnail

What We Learned from Raiders’ Road Win Over the Patriots

September 8, 2025
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Privacy & Policy
  • Contact
  • Donate
Friday, September 26, 2025
66 °f
Wellfleet
58 ° Tue
63 ° Wed
68 ° Thu
61 ° Fri
  • Login
  • Register
FREE Cape Cod News
DONATE
  • FREE Cape Cod News
  • Cape Cod News
  • News
    • News
    • Massachusetts
    • Breaking News
    • Cape Cod Weather
    • Storm Watch
    • Environment
  • Politics
    • democrats
    • republicans
  • Business
    • business
    • cryptocurrency
    • economy
    • money
    • Real Estate
    • Tech
  • World
  • Entertainment
  • Lifestyle
  • Photos
    • Orleans
    • Eastham
    • Wellfleet
    • Truro
    • Provincetown
    • Brewster
    • Chatham
  • Videos
No Result
View All Result
Free Cape Cod News
No Result
View All Result
  • FREE Cape Cod News
  • Cape Cod News
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • World
  • Entertainment
  • Lifestyle
  • Photos
  • Videos
Home Cape Cod News

‘They’re Not Looking for Us.’ Experts Say Sharks Might Mistake Humans for Seals When They Attack

FREE Cape Cod News by FREE Cape Cod News
July 31, 2020
in Cape Cod News, Nature
Reading Time: 2 mins read
Donate
0
‘They’re Not Looking for Us.’ Experts Say Sharks Might Mistake Humans for Seals When They Attack thumbnail
643
SHARES
1.4k
VIEWS
Share on TwitterShare on Facebook

(PORTLAND, Maine) — Seals are thriving off the Northeast coast thanks to decades of protections, and that victory for wildlife has brought a consequence for humans — more encounters with sharks.

Seals are a favorite prey of large sharks such as the great white. The death this week of swimmer Julie Dimperio Holowach, who was killed by a great white off Harpswell, Maine, might have happened because the shark mistook her for a seal, authorities said.

Swimmers off the New England states have learned to be more mindful in recent years due to a spate of sightings of great whites, the apex predator made famous in the movie “Jaws.” A shark that killed a man off Cape Cod in 2018 was also believed to be a great white.

That was the first fatal shark attack in Massachusetts in more than eight decades, while the death of Holowach on Monday was the first documented fatal shark attack in Maine history.

“They’re not vindictive or mad or angry or preferring human flesh. They just occasionally make a mistake. And it’s tragic when they do,” said Greg Skomal, a shark specialist with the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries. “As we restore top predators, the potential for these interactions could increase.”

Incidents of shark bites remain vanishingly rare, especially in Northeastern waters. The International Shark Attack File at the University of Florida lists only 10 unprovoked shark attacks off New England, according to records that go back to 1837.

The majority of documented shark attacks in the U.S. happen off Florida, and internationally, warm weather countries such as South Africa and Australia have higher totals than most. But shark bites are rare in those places, too. Australia has been the site of 652 unprovoked shark attacks according to records that go back to 1580, the International Shark Attack File reported.

Shark bites in colder northern waters are not unheard of. A handful have been recorded off Russia, Finland and Washington state. And researchers are seeing more of the great whites off New England, said James Sulikowski, a researcher of Northeastern sharks who is located at Arizona State University.

The greater number of sightings is “unequivocally” because of the resurgence of seals in New England, Sulikowski said. The seal comeback traces to the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, which afforded seals a chance to repopulate after generations of human exploitation.

Grey seals, once hunted with bounties and pushed close to the point of local extinction, are now common sights in coastal Cape Cod. Some people even feel the animals have come back to the point where they pose a nuisance, in part because they draw more sharks.

The sharks aren’t looking for people, but they’re a reason for swimmers to be cautious, Sulikowski said.

“They’re not looking for us. We’re not on the menu,” he said. “But as these predator prey relationships continue, and because they are so coastal, there’s potential for interaction with humans to increase.”

In Maine, marine patrol officers are conducting searches for the presence of sharks in the aftermath of Holowach’s death. The state is restricting swimming at some state parks. And it has sent a clear message to beachgoers — if you see seals, stay away.

Tags: cape cod newscape cod sharkssharkswildlife

FREE Digital Newspaper Subscription!
Sign up for your free digital subscription. The FREE Cape Cod News

Unsubscribe
FREE Cape Cod News

FREE Cape Cod News

Free Cape Cod News is what's happening in the Cape Cod, U.S and World & what people are talking about right now. Local newspaper. Stay in the know. Subscribe to get notified about our latest news.

Related Posts

Researchers successfully heal rats’ broken spines  thumbnail
Nature

Researchers successfully heal rats’ broken spines 

by FREE Cape Cod News
September 16, 2025
Nantucket - Scientists Discover Mysterious Freshwater Reservoir Beneath the Ocean Floor. How Did It Get There? thumbnail
Cape Cod News

Nantucket – Scientists Discover Mysterious Freshwater Reservoir Beneath the Ocean Floor. How Did It Get There?

by FREE Cape Cod News
September 7, 2025
Scientists Still Can't Figure Out If Water Is 'Wet' thumbnail
Nature

Scientists Still Can’t Figure Out If Water Is ‘Wet’

by FREE Cape Cod News
August 26, 2025
How the nature of environmental law is changing in defense of the planet and the climate thumbnail
Nature

How the nature of environmental law is changing in defense of the planet and the climate

by FREE Cape Cod News
August 18, 2025
Load More
Please login to join discussion

Follow Us on Twitter

FREE Cape Cod News - Your source for local Cape Cod news, latest breaking U.S. and World news. Every day, all day. Subscribe for your favorite categories.

  • Trending
  • Comments
  • Latest
A year after Hurricane Helene, communities still wait for federal reimbursements thumbnail

A year after Hurricane Helene, communities still wait for federal reimbursements

September 26, 2025
Why some memories stick while others fade thumbnail

Why some memories stick while others fade

September 26, 2025
Cape Cod Coastal Erosion. Truro, Massachusetts.

Unveiling Cape Cod’s Erosion Nightmare: The Battle for Coastal Survival

June 14, 2023
A year after Hurricane Helene, communities still wait for federal reimbursements thumbnail

A year after Hurricane Helene, communities still wait for federal reimbursements

0
Why some memories stick while others fade thumbnail

Why some memories stick while others fade

0
Republicans and NJ gov. candidate Jack Ciattarelli hammer Mikie Sherrill over asset gains while in Congress: ’She’s tripled her net worth’ thumbnail

Republicans and NJ gov. candidate Jack Ciattarelli hammer Mikie Sherrill over asset gains while in Congress: ’She’s tripled her net worth’

0
A year after Hurricane Helene, communities still wait for federal reimbursements thumbnail

A year after Hurricane Helene, communities still wait for federal reimbursements

September 26, 2025
Why some memories stick while others fade thumbnail

Why some memories stick while others fade

September 26, 2025
Republicans and NJ gov. candidate Jack Ciattarelli hammer Mikie Sherrill over asset gains while in Congress: ’She’s tripled her net worth’ thumbnail

Republicans and NJ gov. candidate Jack Ciattarelli hammer Mikie Sherrill over asset gains while in Congress: ’She’s tripled her net worth’

September 24, 2025

FREE Cape Cod News On Twitter

Today’s News

  • A year after Hurricane Helene, communities still wait for federal reimbursements September 26, 2025
  • Why some memories stick while others fade September 26, 2025
  • Republicans and NJ gov. candidate Jack Ciattarelli hammer Mikie Sherrill over asset gains while in Congress: ’She’s tripled her net worth’ September 24, 2025
  • States rally to offset fracturing of federal healthcare agencies: ‘Diseases don’t see state lines’ September 22, 2025
  • Jared Kushner Is Now A Billionaire September 18, 2025
FREE Cape Cod News

Copyright © 2024 Free Cape Cod News

Navigate Site

  • About
  • Advertise
  • Privacy & Policy
  • Contact
  • Donate

Follow Us

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password? Sign Up

Create New Account!

Fill the forms below to register

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Add New Playlist

No Result
View All Result
  • FREE Cape Cod News
  • Cape Cod News
  • News
    • News
    • Massachusetts
    • Breaking News
    • Cape Cod Weather
    • Storm Watch
    • Environment
  • Politics
    • democrats
    • republicans
  • Business
    • business
    • cryptocurrency
    • economy
    • money
    • Real Estate
    • Tech
  • World
  • Entertainment
  • Lifestyle
  • Photos
    • Orleans
    • Eastham
    • Wellfleet
    • Truro
    • Provincetown
    • Brewster
    • Chatham
  • Videos
  • Login
  • Sign Up

Copyright © 2024 Free Cape Cod News