It’s not just white sharks: Massachusetts shark researchers ‘closely monitoring’ another shark species this season

This is just jaw-some.

Another shark species has the attention of local white shark researchers, who will be “closely monitoring” an additional apex predator this season as beachgoers return to the water.

Dusky sharks — which were spotted attacking seals off Nantucket in the past — have also been seen off Orleans’ Nauset Beach, where great white sharks are frequently spotted during the summer and fall.

Local white shark researchers previously had not observed dusky sharks preying on seals off Massachusetts, but now it seems like the shark species is making a comeback in these northern waters.

“It’s something we’re going to be keeping track of this year,” said Megan Winton, senior scientist with the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy. “We’re definitely going to be closely monitoring them.

“Some people might say, ‘Oh great, now we have another shark species we have to worry about at the beach,’ but the public safety messaging stays the same,” Winton added. “The same ‘Shark Smart’ behaviors still apply.”

To the untrained eye, dusky sharks can look like big white sharks.

They are large-bodied, about 8- to 10-feet long, typically grey with dusky margins on the fins. While a white shark’s fin is triangular, a dusky shark’s fin slopes and curves.

Dusky sharks are not as beefy as white sharks, and their tail movements are more snake-like.

Dusky sharks are potentially dangerous to beachgoers due to their large size and occurrence in shallow coastal waters, though they have been implicated in few interactions with humans, according to the Florida Museum of Natural History.

“The same messaging goes with a second shark species feeding on seals: You don’t want to be swimming with shark food,” Winton said. “That means seals and big schools of fish.

“Also, we’ve learned that white sharks spend a lot of time in shallow water hunting for seals, so be aware of your depth when visiting our beaches,” she added. “Always pay attention to the lifeguards, and don’t swim or surf alone. Anytime you’re going into a wild environment and you know large predators are around, pay attention and be smart about it.”

Researchers put real-time shark receivers off the Cape, so lifeguards get instant updates if a tagged white shark is nearby. The lifeguards will then order everyone out of the water for some time.

Also, beachgoers are urged to report shark sightings to the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy’s Sharktivity app. The app helps raise awareness of the presence of white sharks off the coast. The app sightings are fed by researchers, safety officials, and users who upload photos for confirmation.

Last week, the first confirmed white shark report of the season was off Martha’s Vineyard when a shark fatally bit a seal.

This is the typical time of year when great whites return to the Cape and Islands to hunt for seals.

Winton over the winter was off South Carolina, where she helped tag seven white sharks. One of those sharks recently pinged off Maryland.

“Some are making their way north already as the water temperatures tick up,” Winton said.

Over the weekend, a porbeagle shark beached itself and died in Rhode Island’s Point Judith Pond.

“The species itself isn’t that surprising as they love colder water and unlike many other sharks that have yet to arrive, this shark was likely getting ready to follow the colder water north as our waters slowly warm,” the Atlantic Shark Institute posted.

The shark was apparently first found wedged in rocks by the breakwater at Salty Brine State Beach in Galilee, but then the shark freed itself and started swimming in circles. The porbeagle then swam into Point Judith Pond and eventually died.

“Thanks to everyone who reached out to us over 24 hours to provide information and video on this shark along with Greg Skomal at MADMF and John Chisholm from New England Aquarium,” the Atlantic Shark Institute wrote. “Both aided our executive director in reviewing all the video and photos to identify this shark.”