Great White in Scituate

[american spirit]

Is it true? A patient just told me a 7 foot white was sighted by recreational fisherman. I thought just the basking sharks were here now.

[johnny ducketts]

it's true.. it took a mack on a kite according to the story at boston channel. They even tagged and released it.

[Slingah]

that is going to squash the beach plans with the wife this afternoon....
hummmm...maybe I didn't see this...

[Raven]

dump blood near the seals

[FishermanTim]

Sooooo exactly how many miles out to sea is the limit when considering a spot is "off XXXXX"?
The shark wasn't spotted in the waters of Scituate, just that the boat that caught it was from there. The boat was fishing out on the banks, some 25-50 miles offshore.

By that standard of measurement, the shark was also seen off of Provencetown, Hull, Boston, Gloucester and Portsmouth, NH since they are all "close" to the banks as well.

I listened to the FOX25 news story, and it NEVER mentioned that the shark was spotted NEAR Scituate, just that the boat departed from there.

Here I was thinking that I would have a chance to "play with the fishes" in my kayak.
Now I'll have to get a "tow" out to the banks to have a chance to catch a shark from a kayak.

[BasicPatrick]

The news reported this story as being a boat out of Gloucester fishgin Stellwaggen

[Rockport24]

somebody posted on another site that they were on the boat, it was out on Stellwagon.

[Van]

Great whites taste like chicken.......

[tattoobob]

Great White Captured Off Mass. Coast - Boston News Story - WCVB Boston

Here is the Channel 5 story

[keeperreaper]

Bruce Sweet runs a 35' Henriques out of Gloucester Harbor. It was caught on a kite bait on Stellwagen tagged with a tag a tiny tuna tag and released. 7' long.

[Sundowner]

dont be fooled, whites come in almost to shore in all our waters. a local fish trap gets dozens of them a yr no more than 200 yrds off shore from a local beach/fishing hole

[Raider Ronnie]

I can tell you guys we saw our larger one with in miles of shore.
We also saw seals pop up in the area.

[FishermanTim]

I have no doubt that there are more around than we see and hear about. The problem will arise "when" the seals migrate up this way and establish a second (or third or.....) rookery (breeding station) farther north. That may be when the sharks take on a more noticeable role in our local waters. That's when swimming may become prohibitive due to the "potential" danger, but that will be some time from now.

One point to consider: There has been a lot done to help clean up Boston Harbor and the surrounding waterways, and with that success, we have invited fish (and mammals) to repopulate areas that were void of life decades ago. With this increase in fauna in our coastal waters, it would be foolish to expect any predator to NOT visit our waters, seemingly loaded with food for the taking.

As the saying goes: "Be careful what you wish for, for youi may not like what you get in the end!"

Personally, I think the sharks are cool. They have every right to be here, and may actually help with the seal problem, not as much with eating them, but as an ever-present threat of attack.
Now if we could only teach them to eat plovers?

[striperman36]

Originally Posted by Raven

dump blood near the seals

Exactly

[Raven]

killer whales will become more prevalent i hope too

[Saltheart]

Smokey and I were walking onto an RI beach once just after dark. Two guys came out of the water with scuba gear on and walked over to us to ask us a question. They had gotten out of the water because they had seen something that might be a shark and were arguing whether there were any sharks in those waters. One guy insisted no but the other was willing to admit maybe. When I told them there most certainly could be shrks in there and that they may be any of several different types , they turned white. I felt bad for possibly ruining their late night dive plans but I have to wonder what level of diving expertise they may have had if they were not even aware of the possibilty there may be sharks out there.

I used to see a ton of them when I sailed through the Race going back and forth from Newport to Guilford, CT back in the early 80's.

Now the appearance of Great Whites is a little different than the normal species we usually see out there. I agree its the seals drawing them in and that is bad news for beach goers and especially surfers and divers in black wet suits. Oh yeah , and fisherman in more than two feet of water!

[PRBuzz]

Originally Posted by Raider Ronnie

I can tell you guys we saw our larger one with in miles of shore.
We also saw seals pop up in the area.

Raider, if you had gotten pictures then you'd be the ones all over the news with your 15' GW not the little 7' being talked about!

[Typhoon]

He was fishing on the southeast corner so by far the closest point of land is Provincetown.

How many yuppie parents aren't going to let their kids in the water on the South Shore this weekend?

[RIJIMMY]

Originally Posted by Saltheart

Smokey and I were walking onto an RI beach once just after dark. Two guys came out of the water with scuba gear on and walked over to us to ask us a question. They had gotten out of the water because they had seen something that might be a shark and were arguing whether there were any sharks in those waters. One guy insisted no but the other was willing to admit maybe. When I told them there most certainly could be shrks in there and that they may be any of several different types , they turned white. I felt bad for possibly ruining their late night dive plans but I have to wonder what level of diving expertise they may have had if they were not even aware of the possibilty there may be sharks out there.

I used to see a ton of them when I sailed through the Race going back and forth from Newport to Guilford, CT back in the early 80's.

Now the appearance of Great Whites is a little different than the normal species we usually see out there. I agree its the seals drawing them in and that is bad news for beach goers and especially surfers and divers in black wet suits. Oh yeah , and fisherman in more than two feet of water!

I meant to post this, but a few weeks ago i was with the kids near Deep Hole, just beachcombing and we came upon a headless, dead mammal carcass, pretty fresh. I am 99% sure it was a seal, not much else it could have been. Now what would take the head off a seal?

[RIROCKHOUND]

Originally Posted by RIJIMMY

I meant to post this, but a few weeks ago i was with the kids near Deep Hole, just beachcombing and we came upon a headless, dead mammal carcass, pretty fresh. I am 99% sure it was a seal, not much else it could have been. Now what would take the head off a seal?

Obama did it.

[fishbones]

Originally Posted by RIJIMMY

I meant to post this, but a few weeks ago i was with the kids near Deep Hole, just beachcombing and we came upon a headless, dead mammal carcass, pretty fresh. I am 99% sure it was a seal, not much else it could have been. Now what would take the head off a seal?

Was the body torn up, too? I would think a shark would have eaten the body of the seal.

[Nebe]

Originally Posted by RIJIMMY

I meant to post this, but a few weeks ago i was with the kids near Deep Hole, just beachcombing and we came upon a headless, dead mammal carcass, pretty fresh. I am 99% sure it was a seal, not much else it could have been. Now what would take the head off a seal?

A pissed off gillnetter

[RIJIMMY]

Originally Posted by RIROCKHOUND

Obama did it.

Come on, we all know he likes to kill his wildlife with oil.

[golden*]

If you guys want more info on the subject of seals and great whites in our waters, check out my piece in the current issue of one of our local fishing magazines...you might even recognize a name or two, including our local expert. the news is basically sensationalizing another encounter with what are regular visitors to our coasts. And we'll see way bigger mamas on TV beforte the fall, i'm sure.

[tysdad115]

Originally Posted by RIROCKHOUND

Obama did it.

Bryan- You are not allowed to accuse the commander in thief of anything. You are hereby asked to step down from your position on the rocks. A press conference will be held where you will be ridiculed and asked to apologize for your errant ways. At said conference you will denounce your ability to think rationally. You will resign your term of Rock Officianado shortly thereafter. You will be taxed on all the monies said reporters are paid to attend the conference. Your replacement is on an inner tube floating north somewhere in the Atlantic. You will suply him with income, a college education and a brand new vehicle. No exceptions.

[FishermanTim]

Depending on who did/didn't check the facts of the story, it may (to paraphrase a line from the movie "Jaws") "Encourage way too many people with no experience, to try and catch/sight another one of these fish.
In other words: It may have been done to "stimulate the seaside economy".
Of course if one of these beautiful fish were to actually make an apperance near one of our beaches, you can bet people's opinions might change a bit (you know, the NIMBY approach.)

[Mike P]

Originally Posted by RIJIMMY

I meant to post this, but a few weeks ago i was with the kids near Deep Hole, just beachcombing and we came upon a headless, dead mammal carcass, pretty fresh. I am 99% sure it was a seal, not much else it could have been. Now what would take the head off a seal?

Coyotes have been known to attack and kill seals that have beached themselves to rest.

[chuckg]

Remembering a September daybreak on East Beach when I saw a 12 " fin cruising 30 yards off the beach...

[fishbones]

Originally Posted by chuckg

Remembering a September daybreak on East Beach when I saw a 12 " fin cruising 30 yards off the beach...

I'd be willing to bet that was a basking shark. They're pretty common there at that time of year. I have a picture of one about 75 yards from shore taken in the morning on August 30th, 3 years ago in the same location. People didn't even get out of the water.

[bart]

Originally Posted by Mike P

Coyotes have been known to attack and kill seals that have beached themselves to rest.

that's what I was thinking....