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A smooth hammerhead shark made a cameo off Cape Cod last week in a relatively rare appearance in New England waters.
The Atlantic White Shark Conservancy shared a social media post on Thursday saying the shark was spotted off Monomoy Island in Chatham on July 20. The post included two photos of the shark, with its signature hammer-shaped head below the water and a fin peeking above the surface.
“Wow! What an incredible (and rare) smooth hammerhead sighting off Monomoy Island on Saturday, July 20th! Thank you, L. Bovenzi for sharing with us! We may be a white shark organization but we will always appreciate a special shark sighting,” the conservancy wrote.
Wow! What an incredible (and rare) smooth hammerhead sighting off Monomoy Island on Saturday, July 20th! Thank you, L. Bovenzi for sharing with us! We may be a white shark organization but we will always appreciate a special shark sighting 🙂 pic.twitter.com/VvCCWDyafW
— Atlantic White Shark Conservancy (@A_WhiteShark) July 25, 2024
According to NOAA Fisheries, smooth hammerhead sharks prefer tropical waters worldwide, though they’re the most likely of the hammerhead species to tolerate temperate waters. Experts say they’re also highly mobile and tend to travel long distances. In the eastern part of the U.S., they’re most often spotted from New Jersey down through Florida and the Gulf of Mexico.
“That is fantastic news. Warmer water Temps bringing it up the Gulf Stream? I have to admit that hammerheads are my favorite shark. But don’t worry I still love the [Great White],” wrote one Facebook user.
White sharks are the most common and notorious shark species to visit New England waters. There have been dozens of white shark sightings along the Massachusetts coast in the last month, according to the Sharktivity app. Most of those sightings have occurred on Cape Cod.
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