White shark washes up dead on Cape Cod beach: ‘Not one of our typical calls for service’
Yes, there are still many great white sharks around here as the temps dip.
One of those massive apex predators washed up dead on a Cape beach on Tuesday, according to local police and researchers.
The white shark was found on an Orleans beach, the police department reported.
“Not one of our typical calls for service,” Orleans Police posted on Tuesday. “Nor is it one for our local duty tow, Nauset Recovery. But, as always, we answered the call. Unfortunately, this giant was located washed up on the beach, and just as with a 4×4 stuck on the outer, we called Dennis to tow it away.
“You really never know what kind of call you’ll respond to on any given shift,” the police department added. “At least Sgt Elliott only needed to follow the tow truck and didn’t have to wrestle an unruly Great White.”
Shark researchers will perform a necropsy to try to find out what led to the predator’s death.
“At this point, we do not know if it was a tagged or previously identified individual,” the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy posted.
Other white sharks have been spotted off the Cape shoreline in recent days. On Tuesday, a shark was seen about 15 yards off Chatham’s North Beach Island.
Over the weekend, there were shark sightings off Chatham’s Monomoy Island — a hotbed of shark and seal activity.
October is typically very busy for great white shark activity along Cape Cod. Last year, October had the most shark detections, according to the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy’s Logbook.
Tagged white sharks are detected on the Conservancy’s receivers throughout the summer and fall. Last year, October had the most detections with 40,322.
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Great white sharks hunt for seals along the Cape coast throughout the summer and fall. The sharks feed on seals close to shore.