On a recent afternoon, a group of beachgoers at Cape May Point on the oceanfront observed a shark frolicking in the shallow water, unexpectedly disrupting the beach day of vacationers who were likely afraid of the universally feared creature.
Those who were curious enough would walk towards it, keeping their distance on the sand and watching the waves crash against it as it swam.
It appeared about a week after another specimen was spotted off the coast of New Jersey. Local marine experts believe this is because the animals hunt large numbers of baitfish near the coast.
Although a shark can cause fear in swimmers, marine biologist Carlee Dunn advises that people who come into contact with them should not panic. And environmentalists should welcome their appearance as a sign of a healthy ocean.
“These are fish-eating sharks,” said Dunn, a member of the Cape May Whale Watch and Research Center. “When you see sharks in our area, they’re usually here to feed on Atlantic menhaden or bunker sharks.”
The research center’s interest in the Cape May Point shark was fueled by a video of its sighting that has been shared steadily online in recent days. Dunn said it was difficult to decide what species the animal was, but hammerhead sharks, she said, are frequently spotted near New Jersey beaches.
“We wouldn’t be surprised if it was this guy,” Dunn said. “We actually have a lot of them here. I think that actually surprises a lot of people.”
While the frequency of shark sightings recorded by the Cape May Whale Watch and Research Center has remained largely consistent in recent years, Melissa Laurino, the center’s research director, said her team documented 200 hammerhead sharks during an offshore tour in 2023 – the largest number they have ever sighted in a single day.
According to Laurino, smaller shark species, up to one meter long, are usually seen near the coast.
However, on August 8, researchers at the center discovered a pair of basking sharks, the second largest fish species in the world, about five kilometers off the coast of Cape May.
The sighting came just a week after they spotted another basking shark five miles offshore. Laurino said it was the center’s fourth basking shark sighting since July 26. It was the first time they’d spotted more than one basking shark at once, she said. Laurino’s team spends 200 days a year at sea.
Laurino said her team saw basking sharks that reached up to 45 feet long and feed on microscopic creatures about 50 to 100 miles offshore. But the team hasn’t seen one within five miles of the coast since 2011. “This is a very, very rare sighting near shore,” Laurino said.
The increase in basking shark sightings near shore could be due to “abundant food and favorable water conditions,” Laurino said, noting that the sharks were in “cooler waters” yesterday.
According to Paul Eidman, a fisherman and marine fish conservation advocate, a “cold water upwelling” from the south has caused ocean temperatures to be colder than usual this year. He said this is leading to increases in some species while others are declining.
Last year, Eidman said, he saw more sharks on his fishing trips off the coast of Point Pleasant than in previous years, including species normally found in the south. “I’ve never seen so many sharks,” Eidman said.
Because shark sightings continue to be frequent and are expected to increase, Eidman has warned beachgoers not to swim in the ocean during low light conditions.
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Eric Conklin can be reached at [email protected].
Rebecca Heath can be reached at [email protected].
