New research reveals that over the past 13 years, more than 100 great white sharks have been … More detected off Maine’s coast, with the majority of sightings occurring in recent years and in relatively shallow waters.
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Over the past 13 years, great white sharks have increasingly made their presence known off Maine’s coast. More than 100 individual sharks have been detected, with the majority of sightings occurring in recent years and notably in shallow waters. This shift in behavior has prompted researchers to dive deeper into understanding what these sharks are doing in Maine’s waters, and their latest findings have just been published in Frontiers in Marine Science. The research is the result of collaboration between the Maine Department of Marine Resources, the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy, the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries, and several other organizations.
“We are excited to have this study published and continue to expand our understanding of white sharks in the western North Atlantic and the coastal waters in Maine,” said Matt Davis, the lead author of the study and a scientist with the Maine Department of Marine Resources. “This work could not have been done without the collaboration of many researchers and organizations, and we thank everyone involved.”
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This study is particularly significant because it marks the first time that researchers have been able to track the movements of white sharks over time in the region. The effort started in 2020, following a tragic event when a swimmer was killed by a white shark off the coast of Harpswell, marking Maine’s first recorded fatal shark bite. In response to this incident, officials at the Maine DMR worked closely with other groups to expand the study of white sharks and their behavior in Maine’s coastal waters. The team used an array of receivers placed along Maine’s coastline, from York and Ogunquit to Kennebunk and Reid State Park. These receivers were designed to detect sharks that had been tagged off Cape Cod, Massachusetts, and Hilton Head, South Carolina.
“We are excited to have this study published and continue to expand our understanding of white … More sharks in the western North Atlantic and the coastal waters in Maine,” said Matt Davis, the lead author of the study and a scientist with the Maine Department of Marine Resources. “This work could not have been done without the collaboration of many researchers and organizations, and we thank everyone involved.”
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With the data collected over the years, researchers were able to develop a clearer picture of the sharks’ movements and behavior patterns in the area. The findings show that these sharks are spending time in waters less than 50 meters (164 feet) deep off Maine, with peak sightings occurring between July and September; this aligns with previous observations of white sharks using similar habitats in other regions. But what stands out in this recent study is how often these sharks are detected during daylight hours. Half of the shark detections occurred during the day, a time when beaches are typically busy with human activity. This was particularly true along areas like Ogunquit, Kennebunk, and Head Beach in Phippsburg, which had some of the highest numbers of shark detections.
Despite the uptick in shark sightings, the team also found that the frequency of white shark detections along Maine’s beaches was still relatively low compared to other regions where these sharks are known to frequent. For example, areas off Cape Cod, which has long been known as a hotspot for white sharks, saw far more frequent detections. The team emphasized that while the presence of sharks in Maine waters is notable, there is no reason to believe that humans are at significant risk. While sharks are often feared, they are a vital part of the marine ecosystem, playing an important role in regulating the populations of other marine species. Their presence in Maine’s waters suggests a healthy marine environment, which could be beneficial for the overall ecosystem.
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The scientists hope the findings of this study will help inform future management strategies in Maine. By understanding where and when white sharks are most likely to be detected, researchers and policymakers can better communicate with the public about how to safely enjoy Maine’s beaches without unnecessary fear. As Maine continues to see more shark detections in its waters, studies like this will be crucial in ensuring that shark conservation efforts continue while also keeping human safety a priority.
Cory LaForge always liked a particular restaurant space on Main Street in Bucksport, which recently housed My Buddy’s Place and the Friar’s Brewhouse Tap Room before that.
So much so that, when it became available two months ago, he decided to open his own restaurant there.
Salsa Shack Maine, which opened in early December, is a physical location for the food truck business he’s operated out of Ellsworth and Orland for the last two years. The new spot carrying tacos, burritos and quesadillas adds to a growing restaurant scene in Bucksport and is meant to be a welcoming community space.
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“I just loved the feeling of having a smaller restaurant,” LaForge said. “It feels more intimate. This place is designed where you can have a good conversation or talk to your customers, like they’re not just another number on a ticket.”
Salsa Shack Maine joins a growing number of new restaurants on Main Street in Bucksport. Credit: Elizabeth Walztoni / BDN
After growing up in the midcoast, LaForge eventually moved west to work in restaurants at ski areas, where he was exposed to more cultural diversity and new types of food – including tacos.
“It’s like all these different flavors that we’re not exposed to in Maine, so it’s like, I feel like I’ve been living a lie my whole life,” he said. “It was fun to bring all those things that I learned back here.”
When he realized his goal of opening a food truck in 2023 after returning to Maine, LaForge found the trailer he’d purchased on Facebook Marketplace was too small to fit anything but tortillas – and the Salsa Shack was born.
It opened at the Ellsworth Harbor Park in 2023 and operated out of the Orland Community Center in the winter. What started as an experiment took off in popularity and has been busy ever since.
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LaForge calls his style “Maine-Mex:” a mix of authentic street tacos in a build-your-own format with different salsas and protein. Speciality salsas include corn and black bean, roasted poblano, pineapple jalapeno and mango Tajin.
The larger kitchen space in the new restaurant has allowed a menu expansion to include quesadillas, burritos and burrito bowls in addition to the tacos, nachos and taco salad bowls sold from the food truck. Regular specials are also on the menu.
Salsa Shack’s new Bucksport kitchen means room for owner Cory LaForge to experiment. He’s added quesadillas, burritos and burrito bowls to the menu alongside regular specials, such as this shrimp taco. Credit: Elizabeth Walztoni / BDN
More new menu items are likely ahead, according to LaForge, along with a beer and wine license and expanded hours in the spring.
The food truck will live on for now, too; he’s signed up for a few events in the coming months.
Starting Jan. 6, the restaurant will also offer a buy-two-get-one-free “Taco Tuesday” promotion.
“It’s a really fun vibe here, and I feel like everyone finds it very comfortable and easy to come in and order,” LaForge said, comparing the restaurant’s atmosphere to the television show Cheers. “Even if you have to sit down and wait a little while, we always have some fun conversations going on.”
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So far, the welcome has been warm locally, he said, both from residents and the other new restaurant owners who help each other out. LaForge’s sole employee, Connor MacLeod, is also a familiar face from MacLeod’s Restaurant, which closed in March after 45 years on Main Street.
When it shut its doors, people in town weren’t sure where they would go, according to LaForge. But four new establishments opened in 2025, offering a range from Thai food to diner offerings.
“It’s kind of fun to see so [many] culinary changes,” he said.
The Salsa Shack is currently open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.
The logos for streaming services Netflix, Hulu, Disney Plus and Sling TV are pictured on a remote control on Aug. 13, 2020, in Portland, Ore. (Jenny Kane/Associated Press)
Maine consumers will soon see a new line on their monthly Netflix and Hulu bills. Starting Jan. 1, digital streaming services will be included in the state’s 5.5% sales tax.
The new charge — billed by the state as a way to level the playing field around how cable and satellite services and streaming services are taxed — is among a handful of tax changes coming in the new year.
The sales tax on adult-use cannabis will increase from 10% to 14%, also on Jan. 1. Taxes on cigarettes will increase $1.50 per pack — from $2 to $3.50 — on Jan. 5.
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All three changes are part of the $320 million budget package lawmakers approved in June as an addition to the baseline $11.3 billion two-year budget passed in March.
Here are a few things to know about the streaming tax:
1. Why is this new tax taking effect?
Taxes on streaming services have been a long time coming in Maine. Former Republican Gov. Paul LePage proposed the idea in 2017, and it was pitched by Gov. Janet Mills, a Democrat, in 2020 and 2024. The idea was rejected all three times — until this year.
State officials said last spring the change creates fairness in the sales tax as streaming services become more popular and ubiquitous. It’s also expected to generate new revenue for the state.
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2. What services are impacted?
Currently, music and movies that are purchased and downloaded from a website are subject to sales tax, but that same music and those same movies are not taxed when streamed online.
The new changes add sales tax to monthly subscriptions for movie, television and audio streaming services, including Netflix, Hulu, Disney Plus, Spotify and Pandora. Podcasts and ringtones or other sound recordings are also included.
3. How much is it likely to cost you?
The new tax would add less than $1 to a standard Netflix subscription without ads priced at $17.99 per month. An $89.99 Hulu live television subscription would increase by about $5 per month.
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Beginning Jan. 1, providers will be required to state the amount of sales tax on customers’ receipts or state that their price includes Maine sales tax.
4. How much new revenue is this generating for the state?
The digital streaming tax is expected to bring in $5 million in new revenue in fiscal year 2026, which ends June 30. After that, it’s projected to bring in $12.5 million annually, with that figure expected to increase to $14.3 million by 2029.
The tax increase on cigarettes, which also includes an equivalent hike on other tobacco products, is expected to boost state revenues by about $75 million in the first year.
The cannabis sales tax increase, meanwhile, will be offset in part by a reduction in cannabis excise taxes, which are paid by cultivation facilities on transfers to manufacturers or retailers. The net increase in state revenue will be about $3.9 million in the first full year, the state projects.
Cars and trucks travel northbound along the Maine Turnpike in Arundel through a messy wintry mix on Feb. 4, 2022. (Gregory Rec/Staff Photographer)
A wintry mix is forecasted to come down on Maine starting in the early hours of Monday morning.
A mix of sleet and snow is expected to start falling around 1 a.m. Monday in the Portland area and closer to 3 a.m. in the Lewiston area. The mix will likely transition to freezing rain on Monday morning in time for the morning commute, making roads icy, according to the National Weather Service in Gray.
“That’s going to make conditions not ideal for traveling,” said Stephen Baron, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service.
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As temperatures inch above 32 degrees Fahrenheit on Monday afternoon, the freezing rain is forecasted to transition to regular rain. Ice on the roads will start to melt over the afternoon as well.
The forecast for the rest of the week is fairly clear as of now. The only other potential precipitation is on Wednesday, with a festive snowfall on New Year’s Eve “around the countdown,” said Baron.
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Sophie is a community reporter for Cumberland, Yarmouth, North Yarmouth and Falmouth and previously reported for the Forecaster. Her memories of briefly living on Mount Desert Island as a child drew her…
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