A great white shark tore apart a seal off Pemaquid Point on Thursday, July 7, an attack that made national headlines, but caused little concern on shore.
The attack was reported via the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy’s Sharktivity app. Graphic pictures showed the half-eaten seal and an accompanying video clip apparently shot in the immediate aftermath of the attack, shows blood in the water surrounding the dead or dying animal.
At nearby Pemaquid Beach Park, park officials closed the water for two hours as a safety precaution, after the attack was reported. However, Bristol Parks and Recreation Commission Chair Clyde Pendleton said he couldn’t recall the last time a shark was seen in Bristol waters.
According to the Maine Department of Marine Resources, a number of shark species can be found in the Gulf of Maine including white sharks. The DMR website currently has a link to a form that provides a way for people to quickly and easily report a shark sighting, submitting a short description and photos if they so choose.
Shark safety tips recommended by the DMR include limiting splashing, avoid the water at dawn or dusk when the light is low, limit splashing, avoiding murky or low visibility water, staying close to the shore, swimming, surfing, or paddling in groups and avoiding areas where seals and or schools of fish are present.
Since 2020, the Maine Department of Marine Resources has been working to monitor the presence of white sharks in southern Maine waters, in collaboration with Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries, the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy, and James Sulikowski, of Arizona State University. The effort involves tracking sharks through the use of acoustic devices recording signals from acoustic transmitters attached to sharks by researchers.
Information about the DMR ongoing scientific research can be found at maine.gov/dmr.
The form for reporting shark sightings can be found at arcgis.com.
