Cape Cod shark sightings rise with more eyes on the water, seals with shark bites spotted

As more people flock to the Cape for the summer, more eyes are on the water — and more great white sharks are starting to get spotted.

Also, multiple seals with shark bites have been reported around the region in the last week, according to the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy’s Sharktivity app.

“Wounded seal on beach at Long Point Light Station (Provincetown) with bite marks along back,” reads the Sharktivity post from last week.

Then on Friday afternoon up in the North Shore in Gloucester, a seal with a shark bite was reported by multiple witnesses.

Also last week, a seal with a shark bite was spotted up in Maine along Casco Bay.

This is the time of the year when sharks return to the Cape and region, as the apex predators hunt for seals close to shore.

On Saturday afternoon, a person on a boat snapped a photo of a shark cruising in Wellfleet Harbor. Also at around the same time, a 6-foot great white was spotted off the tip of Billingsgate in Cape Cod Bay.

On Monday, a new National Geographic special about Cape Cod and great white sharks, “Return of the White Shark,” will be premiering as part of Nat Geo’s Sharkfest.

The documentary follows local shark researchers as they tag the apex predators and try to predict the sharks’ movements and behaviors to help keep residents and tourists safe.

The Atlantic White Shark Conservancy tweeted, “Catch AWSC’s Staff Scientist, Megan Winton, and @GregSkomal with the @MassDMF on National Geographic’s 2023 SharkFest! Watch ‘Return of the White Shark’ on July 3rd at 9pm AND ‘Shark Below Zero’, on July 5th at 9pm – both on @NatGeoTV. #sharkfest2023.”