My hunt for white sharks off Chatham

[Fish_Eye]

As luck would have it, I was vacationing with my family in nearby Sandwich when I heard about all the sharks at Chatham. Needless to say I loaded up the van and headed to the lighthouse just before dawn on Sunday. It was an eye opening experience.

Here are a few of the images from that morning. None of them have been altered short of cropping and color correcting.

It's hard to believe the number of seals in this one area alone.

[Fish_Eye]

Thanks to a full moon and a very low tide I was able to get very close to these grey seals...talk about out of control.

I didn't notice the fin (at least it looks like one to me) until after I started working with the images earlier today. I can't be 100% sure it's a white shark's fin, however, I blew the shot up and I can't imagine it being a seal or a passing bird.

[flatts1]

Great work, Mike!

We were at that same spot for Hurricane Bill. My son got his picture taken with the Channel 5 weather guy.

There were a bunch of seals then too but in the water. Probably 40+ in two different groups.

[BassDawg]

do you suppose that look of "where are we supposed to swim, NOW?" frightful appeal from the little varmint with sharks' fins poignantly circling in the same shot has anything to do with he and his brethren beaching themselves for as long as is possible? i say bring on the HIGH tides and let JAWS and nature thin out the herd!!

better still, would be for them to move the frick away from the Cape!! with my apologies to Jimmy~~~

"WHITES to the left, WHITES to the right,,,,,,,,,,,,,,and you're the only seals in town!"

[Crafty Angler]

Great shots as always, Mike......definitely looks like a dorsal behind the cute widdle seal

I remember seeing that footage you got of the tiger shark some time ago where you had to use the boat over you as cover......can't be a real comfortable situation...

Probably smart not to enter the water in proximity to the seal herd - you wouldn't want a great white to mistake your profile as a particularly tasty piniped

Or maybe find yourself the object of a bull seal's ...uhhhh....amorous advances, either...

[JohnR]

Originally Posted by Crafty Angler

Probably smart not to enter the water in proximity to the seal herd - you wouldn't want a great white to mistake your profile as a particularly tasty piniped

As you know Mike, the seals don't need to swim faster than sharks, just faster than you.

Hope you had a great time on Vacay. I was in sangwhich too, would've met up for an ale had I known.

[spence]

I think it's just a bird. With the angle of the sun I'd think a fin would be reflecting more light and the perspective isn't right.

Great pics...

-spence

[maddmatt]

someone needs to chase those seals back into the water

[Fish_Eye]

Visit Weekly Top Video and look for the white shark footage that is over 34 minutes long. You'll see what looks like a school of albies or bonito right on her tail; they seem to be mobbing her like sparrows mob a crow. They might be feeding on the small krill-like critters that are being disoriented by her large tail.

Let's go find white sharks and fish for "funny fish". I wonder how long you would be fighting an albie before the shark got interested???

Spence, you could be right, however the angle of sun was correct for that edge of the fin to be highlighted, especially if she was making a short turn. I know one thing for certain...there was at least one shark within a 10 minute swim of that colony of blubber-burgers.

[nightfighter]

Mike, if you want to raise some sharks near a boat, our friend T. suggested we cut some gray carpet in the shape of a seal and troll that around. Worked for the National Geo guys....

[CaptMike]

Awesome pictures! That sea ray in the first one is moored right in Ryder's Cove

[zimmy]

that third seal picture (on the right) is propeller damage.

[2na]

I believe that the object in the water behind the seals is a seal in the water sleeping. The way they do it is to fall asleep with their nose pointed high up out of the water (I suppose the posture minimizes water up the nose) so it has that pointed shape. Sadly, I am very familiar with that sight.

[Rockport24]

awesome pics Mike! either way on that fin, it's sure as hell looks like one and the composition is perfect with that look on the seal's face!

[Back Beach]

Mike,

I'm thinking back to the time we did the underwater filming off the cape in the early 90's and have a question for you.... Would you try that again right now?

[RIROCKHOUND]

Mike. is that the rod that now lives in my basement?

[Roger]

Originally Posted by Fish_Eye

Let's go find white sharks and fish for "funny fish". I wonder how long you would be fighting an albie before the shark got interested???

It doesn't take long:

[2na]

I posted a pic from a post a few months back (http://www.striped-bass.com/Stripert...ure-found.html) of one doing the sleeping thing. If you are able to ignore the needlefish sticking out of its face, and you'll see the triangle shape.

I'd attach it here but the system will not allow me to upload it again. What's up with that, John??

[MAKAI]

Hey Mike I'll be in your neck of the woods next week, save one fish for me