That's right, a third great white shark was spotted off the coast of Chatham, about a hundred yards from shore. On Thursday, there was a sighting of a 16-foot great white by shark spotter pilot Greg Breen. Wait, that's really a job here in Massachusetts? Anyway, on Saturday, photographer (not shark photographer, just photographer) Robert Scott Button snapped a photo (it's OPP, so click the WCVB link to check it out) of a great white also from the safety of a plane. Was Mr. Breen piloting? We'll never know. Regardless, Greg Skomal, the state shark biologist who told us not to worry about the first two great whites cause they just want to chow on gray seals, confirmed that indeed, the photo was of another great white. Since the shark spotter pilot saw the great white chasing seals, perhaps there's nothing to worry about (did we mention our map of Cape and Islands swimming pools?).
It's also entirely possible that the sharks are just here a few weeks early for JAWSFEST, "a festival celebrating the movie, it's legacy, the cast, and most of all - sharks." The festival takes place August 9-12 and is expected to draw more than 5,000 attendees, many with a "fervor and dedication" rivaling that of Trekkies'. According to festival producer Susan Sigel Goldsmith, "The fans show up in costume, in character, knowing every line of the movie inside and out."
UPDATE - Shark sightings have prompted the Chatham Harbormaster to, "indefinitely prohibit swimming along the entire eastern shoreline within 300 feet of observed seals in the area of Chatham from the Orleans/Chatham line at Nauset Beach south to Monomoy Island."
· Another great white spotted off Chatham coast [WCVB]
· Two Great White Sharks Spotted Off Cape Cod, But Don't Worry [Curbed Cape Cod]
· Hot Enough For Ya? Here's A Map Of Cape & Islands Pools [Curbed Cape Cod]
· JAWSFEST returns to Martha's Vineyard [Boston Globe]
· Shark reports prompt swimming ban off Chatham [Wicked Local]