Huge shark with ‘gnarliest injury’ was nearly as big as research vessel off Cape Cod
One of the largest great white sharks ever spotted off the New England coast also had one of the “gnarliest” injuries, according to new details released by the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy.
The shark, estimated at 16 feet long, was seen Oct. 2 off the seaside town of Chatham on Cape Cod. A side-by-side photo posted the next day on Facebook showed it was nearly as big as their research vessel.
On Wednesday, the conservancy shared underwater footage revealing the apex predator was covered in scars and even missing a few parts.
The tip of its dorsal fin — the fin that sticks out of the water — was gone and several inches of its caudal fin — or tail — were missing. Two large slices were also visible in its tail, suggesting the shark collided with the whirling props of a boat motor.
“Not only does it get the award for the largest shark seen this season, but it also gets the title of gnarliest injury,” the conservancy said on Facebook.
“This isn’t the first time the research team has observed a shark with boat injuries. Even with this type of injury, the shark’s behavior was normal.”
The shark’s size captivated social media, after photos by aerial photographer Wayne Davis showed the ominous silhouette was nearly as long as the conservancy’s research vessel. Among his photos was one of scientist Megan Winton peering into the water at a shape more than twice her size.
Several thousand people reacted to the photos on Facebook, calling the shark “humongous” and repeatedly quoting the classic “You’re going to need a bigger boat” line from the movie “Jaws.”
The conservancy posted the photos just one day after the nonprofit OCEARCH reported tagging a 17-foot, 2-inch great white shark off Nova Scotia. The 3,541-pound female, estimated to be over 50 years old, is one of the largest great white sharks seen in the Northwest Atlantic, OCEARCH said.
Great white sharks can reach up to 20 feet, according to the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History: “But most are smaller. ... The average female is 15-16 feet long, while males reach 11-13 feet.”
That suggests the 16-foot shark spotted by the conservancy was an older female.
The Atlantic White Shark Conservancy reports it conducted 12 shark tagging trips this season in the Cape Cod area, where great white sharks gather to feed on an abundant population of seals.
This story was originally published October 22, 2020 at 6:57 AM with the headline "Huge shark with ‘gnarliest injury’ was nearly as big as research vessel off Cape Cod."