There’s a new poster boy for what not to do at Cape beaches this summer.
A man was recently spotted swimming near seals at Marconi Beach in Wellfleet — the same beach where a dead seal with shark bites washed up over the weekend.
Great white sharks come to the Cape every summer and fall, as the apex predators hunt for seals close to shore.
Shark researcher John Chisholm over the weekend used the swimmer’s behavior to give out shark safety tips.
“This is NOT being ‘Shark Smart,’ ” Chisholm posted about the swimmer, later adding, “This is the same beach where a seal carcass washed up this morning.”
Chisholm confirms sharks sightings for the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy’s Sharktivity app, which over the weekend sent out multiple shark alerts for great whites being spotted close to shore at Orleans’ Nauset South OSV.
“When we have busy days like this it’s usually because the team is on the water looking for sharks,” Chisholm wrote.
“Even though there may not be alerts every day, the take away message is to be aware of where shark activity is occurring so you can be ‘Shark Smart’ and take the appropriate precautions when enjoying your day at the beach,” added Chisholm, who’s also an adjunct scientist in the New England Aquarium’s Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life.
Shark safety guidelines include: avoiding areas where seals are present; being aware that sharks hunt for seals in shallow water; staying close to shore where rescuers can reach you; not isolating yourself; avoiding areas where schools of fish are visible; avoiding murky or low-visibility water; limiting splashing; and following all signage and flag warnings at beaches and lifeguards’ instructions.
30 bottlenose dolphins stranded along Cape
Marine mammal rescue experts responded to reports of a mass stranding of up to 30 bottlenose dolphins at First Encounter Beach in Eastham early Monday morning.
It’s now the largest known stranding of bottlenose dolphins off Massachusetts, according to the International Fund for Animal Welfare.
The dolphins refloated with the incoming tide, while an additional five to six animals died before the IFAW team arrived at the Cape Cod Bay beach.
Bottlenose dolphins are typically an offshore species, though IFAW has seen an increasing trend of these animals occurring closer to Cape Cod’s shores in recent years.
The area within the “crook” of Wellfleet and Eastham is a globally recognized hotspot for mass stranding events due to the extreme tidal fluctuations and the shallow flats of Cape Cod’s unique geography.
“Similar to a person involved in a car accident, dolphins can become injured and exhausted during a stranding event and should never be pushed or dragged back into the water,” IFAW wrote. “Members of the public who encounter a stranded or distressed marine mammal should keep a safe distance and contact trained rescue experts through our IFAW Stranding Hotline.”
Those who find a live or dead stranded marine mammal on Cape Cod or southeastern Massachusetts are urged to call IFAW’s marine mammal rescue hotline at 508-743-9548.
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