Great White Shark Attacks Kayak Off Massachusetts Coast
A great white shark attacked kayakers off the coast of Massachusetts on Wednesday evening. According to NECN, the shark came up under the kayaks and took a bite out of one of the boats. Researchers were able to identify the type of shark based on the tooth size that they measured from the dent it left in the kayak. The shark is believed to have been between 14 and 16 feet long.
“Neither of the women kayaking was injured in the attack. Officials say the women, who are in their mid-20s, were attempting to take pictures of the seals at the time.”
The great white shark was likely swimming in the area, searching for food. Generally, these sharks are seen in areas with a high seal population. Great whites are often seen in Chatham, Massachusetts, in Cape Cod. There are numerous seals in the waters there, and it is believed that sharks come into the area — which is also a popular place for beach-goers — to feed on them.
As for the shark off of the Plymouth coast in Manomet Point, it couldn’t be located after the attack. According to the report, “the Plymouth Harbormaster searched for about two and half hours but found nothing.” The women who were in the kayaks said that they did see a shark in the water earlier in the day, attacking a seal. Evidently that wasn’t enough to scare them out of the water.
Great white sharks have been more common in Massachusetts waters. According to WCVB, attacks haven’t been too common, but with the presence, there is always the chance. The last shark attack by a great white in Massachusetts was in 2012… before that? 1936.
“In July 2012, a great white bit Chris Myers, a tourist from Denver, while he was swimming about 400 yards off Ballston Beach in Truro. Myers needed 47 stitches in his legs to close the wound. It was the first confirmed shark bite in Massachusetts since 1936.”
Great whites have been seen a couple of times off the Cape this year. As previously reported by The Inquisitr, a 15-foot male great white was spotted in Chatham last month. People in a boat caught some footage on video, and you can hear them screaming in the audio. A warning was given to beach-goers, many choosing to avoid going for a swim for obvious reasons.
[Photo courtesy of Alexey Semeneev via Wikimedia Commons /© Effie Orfanides 2014]
