What a catch.
A fisherman recently caught a tiger shark near the Cape shoreline, as the warm-water sharks make their way north.
Researchers in recent years have predicted that tiger sharks would be popping up near the Cape due to warming waters, and now a fisherman has landed one from shore.
The fisherman, Hans Brings, caught the juvenile tiger shark off Popponesset in Mashpee along the south side of the Cape. The shark was estimated to be 4-feet long.
After catching the tiger shark, Brings released it back into the water.
“It’s another warm-water species that’s taking advantage of the warming waters and coming north,” John Chisholm, an adjunct scientist at the New England Aquarium, told the Herald.
Historically, juvenile tiger sharks were caught off the south side of the Cape in the 1930s and 40s.
“Now, we’re getting little ones like this one every year,” Chisholm said. “We’ve been seeing more and more of them.”
Recent research has found that tiger sharks are migrating farther north each year because of warmer oceans.
While waters off the Northeast have historically been too cold for tiger sharks, temps have warmed significantly in recent years and are now suitable for tiger sharks, according to researchers.
“This is now within their comfort zone,” Chisholm said.
This tiger shark sighting comes after hammerhead sharks were spotted off the Bay State coast.
Chisholm had said the hammerhead sightings could be a sign of things to come for other warm-water sharks. Those species include blacktip, spinner and bull sharks.
Shark scientists have warned that tiger sharks moving north could lead to more interactions between sharks and humans.
Tiger sharks can be dangerous, and they’re second only to white sharks in terms of the number of reported bites on humans.
“People need to take precautions when they go into the water,” Chisholm said. “We know sharks are here, and you’re swimming in a shark habitat, so you have to be aware.
“They’re not targeting humans,” he added. “It’s usually an accident when they bite somebody, but unfortunately one bite can hit an artery and you can have a loss of life.”
Tiger sharks are known to eat a lot of different prey, including fish, sea birds, crustaceans, squids and even garbage.
Large tiger sharks can feed on seals.
“As the bigger ones move north, it will be interesting to see whether they take advantage of the local seal population,” Chisholm said. “They’re very opportunistic when it comes to prey.”
