we love the Cape, love everything about it - the water, the fishing, the bike trail, the Cape Cod league, the food, the mini golf, the lobstering. We cancelled our camping reservations for this summer, because my 3 boys love being in the water all day, riding waves on their boogey boards, which is exactly what last summer's victim was doing, in the middle of the day in broad daylight, when he was killed. We're going to Narragansett instead, I just can't imagine letting my kids in that water.

Will tourism be down at all? Lots of people can enjoy the Cape without going in the water, and maybe some people will be more inclined to go now if they want to try and see a shark?

I just booked a trip to the Cape for a week in August. I figure the sharks are there and have been for a while now with very few problems so there is no sense in running the opposite direction.

If you think Narragansett is great white shark free then do yourself a favor and don't speak to anyone working on the water in the area. There was a large one inside the Harbor of Refuge last summer, several have been caught in the fish traps, and likely many more that don't make the news.

I live there but the Gov. could give a chit about my grandchildren swimming.
Since ther's no list of tree huggers the folks in office are scared chitless about looseing votes from tree huggers.
If we get rid of the seals ,the sharks will go.
Might even have the fish return.

I just booked a trip to the Cape for a week in August. I figure the sharks are there and have been for a while now with very few problems so there is no sense in running the opposite direction.

If you think Narragansett is great white shark free then do yourself a favor and don't speak to anyone working on the water in the area. There was a large one inside the Harbor of Refuge last summer, several have been caught in the fish traps, and likely many more that don't make the news.

"I just booked a trip to the Cape for a week in August."

Great time to be there.

" figure the sharks are there and have been for a while now with very few problems so there is no sense in running the opposite direction.'"

I hope you're right. I saw Greg Skokal (spelling?) on TV, the marine biologist shark expert from Woods Hole, who is always on TV, and he said the one thing that's changing ta the Cape, is that tagged sharks are spending more time very close to the beach, more than before, And the bites started the first year we went, 5-6 years ago at Ballston Beach in Truro.

"If you think Narragansett is great white shark free "

No place is shark free. But they're not all equal, either. Have fun in August.

I would not recommend letting children swim out there. Probably now one of the most dangerous places to swim in the world.
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You realize your kids have more of a chance drowning by just drowning than a shark attack right??
Grow some balls and enjoy life without fear.
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I would not recommend letting children swim out there. Probably now one of the most dangerous places to swim in the world.
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My wife and I were sitting on the coach last August, watching TV, and when we heard the marine biologist say that sharks at the cape were spending noticeably more time in shallow water close to the beach, as soon as he uttered that sentence, I walked to the phone and cancelled my reservations for this year. Hate to do it, but I'm at the point where I think it's insane to let children swim there.

When we were there last summer, there was a marine biologist in the water with me and my kids in Truro, I asked if he was scared, and he said he wouldn't go in the water at dawn or dusk, but broad daylight should be fine.

Anyway, the people who run the campground we go to (used to go to), say there's no decrease in reservations. I was just wondering if tourism will be impacted.

You realize your kids have more of a chance drowning by just drowning than a shark attack right??
Grow some balls and enjoy life without fear.
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"You realize your kids have more of a chance drowning by just drowning than a shark attack right?? "

Yes I realize that. Do you realize that it's possible, even recommended, that we attempt to prevent children from more than one type of hazard?

"enjoy life without fear"

Do you have kids? What adults choose to do themselves, and what is reasonable to allow your children to do, are different things. Very different things.

I volunteer one evening a week at Mount Southington, a local ski mountain near my home. An 8 year-old kid died there last week, was skiing with his dad, went into the half pipe without his helmet, got inverted in the air and came down on his head. When I go the mountain, if I realize I've left my helmet at home, I will ski anyway. But if we get to the mountain and one of my kids doesn't have his helmet, we go home and get it.

God I hope so
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How long were the beaches closed to swimming after last years attack?

Maybe a safer bet for children would be the shallow tide pool beaches on the bay side.

I know the chances are slim for a shark attack but I don't even play the lottery so I don't chance it anymore. Especially out on the outer Cape where I use to always wade the seaward side of the finger bars at low water.

My family and I have cancelled our mid August outer Cape vacation because of the sharks. We had one hit a seal right in front of my vehicle on my daughters 6th birthday while I was out in the kayak. I still will be doing my end of June first week of July trip out there, but will be hitting the Plumb Island area in August from now on.

if anything more people will head to the outer cape in hopes of seeing a GW.me i do all my grocery shopping late at night,i know my chances of getting run over in the parking lot go way down late night when masses are home sleeping.from the amount of people i saw in the water the days after both attacks i.d have to say not many people changed their swim habits because of the attacks.

Geez Mikey everyyear it gets lonelyer out there.not that i mind,but i do miss all those mornings that we fished together,either off the kayak or walking out to the Hump,and chasing the blues at dawn

I just booked a trip to the Cape for a week in August. I figure the sharks are there and have been for a while now with very few problems so there is no sense in running the opposite direction.

If you think Narragansett is great white shark free then do yourself a favor and don't speak to anyone working on the water in the area. There was a large one inside the Harbor of Refuge last summer, several have been caught in the fish traps, and likely many more that don't make the news.

Toby, Dave Hammock of Murats was fishing Deep Hole one night. This was back when you could keep 16" Bass. He had several on a stringer that was hooked to his wader belt. A "log" kept bumping his leg and finally he turn on his light and there was a shark feeding on the stripers on the stringer. This was probably in the 70s. Never bit him but he was wearing the old Greylight waders so the shark couldn't smell him.

Sharks want food! Seals = food! Stay away from seals!

Hmmmmm... less traffic this year?

I feel like my children have already had more world experiences than I will ever have. They certainly don’t live in a bubble and are exposed to quite a bit. I really would want them to use a helmet on a motorcycle though. I also think seatbelts are a good idea. We swim at the Vineyard and Westport. You have to have a screw loose to wish your child luck on the backside beaches at this point.
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I hate agreeing with dangles
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Think it was 2009, we had a family trip to Chatham. Took the water taxi to South Beach. Had a 4 year old and 1 year old at the time. Seals moved in next to the beach and my in-laws kept swimming, floating around with the seals. I said no way I am going in there and the kids stay out of the water. The next week was when the first reports we ever heard of great whites started. I have not had my kids surfing or boarding on the outer beaches since the sharks became the norm. But, it is the seals... If the seals aren't there, I wouldn't worry. Nebe is right though, as usual :). I let them swim, I let them surf, I let them snowboard, and ride in a car, which are all way more likely to kill them than a great white on nauset. However, floating in a wetsuit on a board amongst the seals in the morning or evening and you are rolling the dice.
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You realize your kids have more of a chance drowning by just drowning than a shark attack right??
Grow some balls and enjoy life without fear.
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Tell that to Mrs. Kintner
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I just booked a trip to the Cape for a week in August. I figure the sharks are there and have been for a while now with very few problems so there is no sense in running the opposite direction.

If you think Narragansett is great white shark free then do yourself a favor and don't speak to anyone working on the water in the area. There was a large one inside the Harbor of Refuge last summer, several have been caught in the fish traps, and likely many more that don't make the news.

Ill be there at Nauset last week.
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I hate agreeing with dangles
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LMAO

Tell that to Mrs. Kintner
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Or to Pippet. Poor, poor Pippett.

Geez Mikey everyyear it gets lonelyer out there.not that i mind,but i do miss all those mornings that we fished together,either off the kayak or walking out to the Hump,and chasing the blues at dawn

Those were the days. You me and JP pounded a lot of sand back then. See you in June!

God I hope so
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x2

.
If you think Narragansett is great white shark free then do yourself a favor and don't speak to anyone working on the water in the area. There was a large one inside the Harbor of Refuge last summer, several have been caught in the fish traps, and likely many more that don't make the news.

Not surprising about the HOR as there were more grey seals there last year then any other season COMBINED that I can remember. It’s definiteky happening down there. I watched it play out on the Cape as we all did and now it’s playing out in RI. More grey seals each year, more rumblings about sharks year. YeH they’ve always been there, but that’s what people used to say on the Cape before the seal population exploded. The white sharks aren’t just relegated to one area either. I know of many that have been spotted in South County and not just juvies. Someone’s brother on here saw one about 17 ft long close to the beach off Charlestown last year. It’s definitely happening...
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I think the number of Great whites that visit the shoreline of Narragansett
would shock many people. My kids and I swim there all summer though with no worries... would I go swimming at the cape with the same worry free approach? nope.

At times I albie and bass fish around the tip of Monomoy. You see fresh cut seals on the beach. Definitely would give me the creeps to be over the side out there.
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If you go to the Chatham Fish pier there are boats that do Seal Tours.
Business is good !!!
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I always spend a few days out there in August with my girlfriend and sometimes her kid. I’m not sure what her feelings are this year. I will still swim but will stay closer to shore than the last few years if that even helps.
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I always spend a few days out there in August with my girlfriend and sometimes her kid. I’m not sure what her feelings are this year. I will still swim but will stay closer to shore than the last few years if that even helps.
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The seal that got attacked in front of my car while I was dropping bait in the kayak in August was less then 10 feet from shore. So stay very close!

The seal that got attacked in front of my car while I was dropping bait in the kayak in August was less then 10 feet from shore. So stay very close!

That's what the marine biologist said on TV, that they are observing tagged sharks spend a lot more time, a lot closer to shore.

Scary to me, is that this kid was killed in the middle of the day, I think people always hoped that if people avoided dusk through dawn, they'd be OK. That was middle of the day on a clear day.

Let's face it, it's human nature!
Just like people slowing down to check out a car crash...they will come to the sea hoping to see something (or someone) get attacked.

Yeah, I know it sounds morbid, but people are people, and you can't change that.

That's what the marine biologist said on TV, that they are observing tagged sharks spend a lot more time, a lot closer to shore.

Scary to me, is that this kid was killed in the middle of the day, I think people always hoped that if people avoided dusk through dawn, they'd be OK. That was middle of the day on a clear day.

There were 88 shark attacks world wide and 5 deaths in 2018. When you add up all the people in the water in Australia, northern California, South Africa, and cape cod, statistically there are a lot bigger things to worry about than great whites. The guttural fear of being eaten distorts it. I don't put my kids in that water, but there is little justification for the phobia.
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I'm not scoffing at the idea of shark attacks on the cape but, there were 65 deaths as the result of auto accidents on cape cod between Jan 2007 and July 2010. You and your passengers are in more danger on the road, driving in your car.


Interesting chart below




https://static.lakana.com/nxsglobal/feedsite/photo/2016/10/17/Animals-most-likely-to-kill-you_11780386_ver1.0_1280_720.jpg

Now that I'm a local I'll guess I'll chime in.

Say this to yourself out loud right now and realize how silly it sounds. "I'm not going skiing out to Lake Tahoe because mt lions live there...

Saying I'm not coming out to the Cape because of the sharks is just as silly as that. A little education and common sense go a long way. swimming/surfing/body boarding 100 ft off shore at any time of the day is a huge risk anywhere on the outer cape and inside CC bay at this point. the warmer waters of the vineyard sound are probably a much safer bet. I'm sure there are some whites around by me, but probably not many and definitely not their hunting ground. All fall I saw ONE seal for 4 days straight then he was gone.... no food no resident sharks...

if you are that concerned about your kids why not keep to the shallow flats and tell your kids not to go to deep. If you see seals get the hell out he water...

or go swim in one of the hundreds of freshwater ponds.

Early summer nights way out on the flats I may be a little cautious to have a bleeding bass on a rope.
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I don't put my kids in that water, but there is little justification for the phobia.
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I'm a numbers guy, I get it. But I think there's all kinds of justification for the paranoia applied to kids.

Saying I'm not coming out to the Cape because of the sharks is just as silly as that. A little education and common sense go a long way. swimming/surfing/body boarding 100 ft off shore at any time of the day is a huge risk anywhere on the outer cape and inside CC bay at this point. the warmer waters of the vineyard sound are probably a much safer bet. I'm sure there are some whites around by me, but probably not many and definitely not their hunting ground. All fall I saw ONE seal for 4 days straight then he was gone.... no food no resident sharks...

if you are that concerned about your kids why not keep to the shallow flats and tell your kids not to go to deep. If you see seals get the hell out he water...

or go swim in one of the hundreds of freshwater ponds.

My three boys want to spend all day riding waves. I'm looking for a safe(r) place to do that.

And again, I saw that biologist say that they are seeing a change in behavior, that tagged sharks are spending more time in close to shore.

My three boys want to spend all day riding waves. I'm looking for a safe(r) place to do that.



A water park with the wave action machine pool would be the safest bet. but I think those are in places like Arizona

Its a shame to not enjoy the surf or let our kids enjoy it like we had when we were young.

As a parent is hard to not be over protective.

That said. I spent a time in california on beaches frequented by sharks was always surprised by the amount on surfers in the surf, disregarding the posted warnings of great whites or recent activity of whites.

There they are ...the surfers....soaking in the water..like perfect seal decoys. The surfers taking the risk because they know the probability is low. As noted you should have a larger fear of the wonderbread truck that might take you out...than a shark. You know those trucks lurk right in your neighborhood.

Speilberg even did a film about killer trucks in his early film "Duel"... but i warn you after seeing it you will never want to drive a car again....hahaha.


As noted. Educate yourself on the conditions that put you at risk.

I would personally stay clear of the beaches that have had activity.
Stay away from seals and stained water. Lower you risk of a white making a mistake. Whites are not monsters waiting for an opportunity to eat people.

Last year we did some snorkeling on the cape in spite of the incidents. I will do the same this year. To not enjoy the cape because of these incidents is irrational and not a lesson i would want to teach my daughter.
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Man, Forget about the sharks for a minute, lets talk about these
DAMN HORSE FLIES!!! 100% chance of being attacked!
Enough to keep me out

Man, Forget about the sharks for a minute, lets talk about these
DAMN HORSE FLIES!!! 100% chance of being attacked!
Enough to keep me out

hahaha...horse flies? You mean the green heads.

If you dont breath...they cant find you. I do not breath when I am in the dunes. Its like being underwater....hahahahaha.

I used to have a blue truck when fishing Nauset beach in the day.
Those little mofos loved the color.
Perfect color match of the traps in the marsh... yeesh !
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Bass hole Yarmouthport is green head capital of the world....
SO thick one day got scared and took the kids back across under water most of the way....
Hate those things... but luv that warm weather:-)

Saw a black lab in Westport once covered in the damn things....he seemed friendly, but no owner around. He kept trying to approach me...unfortunately the pack of 50 or so green heads followed him.
I ended up in the water, as did he....but he didn't get low enough to lose them....saw him twitch every time he got bit, poor guy....felt so bad as they were all over his face...:huh: ...didn't know what to do, couldn't find any owner either, some people shouldn't own dogs

the population is prob at its highest point its ever been for any of our lifetimes. 350+ fish. your a fool if you surf/board the back beaches. like whistling through the graveyard. plus the fact that there are juveniles around - and we all know juvis of anything are pretty stupid in general

I'm WAAAAAY more worried about the ridiculous out of control tick population here on Cape Cod and the vineyard then I am about the 350+ sharks in the ocean....

A $10 blue hardhat covered with grease will get covered with dead greenheads and you won't.

A $10 blue hardhat covered with grease will get covered with dead greenheads and you won't.

Good to know. Hate those buggers.