Posted on 09/05/2009 4:58:50 PM PDT by Capt. Tom
BOSTON -- A state biologist and a team of Cape Cod fishermen became the first group to successfully tag a great white shark in the Atlantic Ocean on Saturday, placing tracking devices on two sharks off the coast of Chatham, according to the Department of Marine Fisheries.
Biologists from the Massachusetts Shark Research Program have been closely monitoring the waters near Monomy Island to locate and identify sharks after five were spotted in the waters off Cape Cod on Thursday.
At about 10 a.m. Saturday, Skomal and the crew of the fishing vessel Ezduzit identified a great white off the coast of Chatham and harpooner Bill Chaprales landed the satellite tracking device. The crew then spotted a second great white at 3:30 p.m. and placed a second satellite tracker.
Researchers use the tags to record where sharks travel, allowing scientists to better understand their migratory patterns. Great whites that have been tagged off the coasts of South Africa and Australia have provided researchers with valuable data about the vulnerability of sharks to human fishing patterns.
No fewer than a dozen shark species, including makos, blue sharks and thresher sharks, swim in and out of New England waters each year, according to the Division of Marine Fisheries. The sharks are common in the area because of the thousands of seals that call Chatham home.
In 2004, Skomal helped tag another great white in Massachusetts waters, but the tracking device malfunctioned and researchers weren't able to gather any data about the shark's movements.
http://www.thebostonchannel.com/news/20747289/detail.html
There were 5 whites there again today, as you know they tagged two of the whites. They spent 3 hours tracking a large white which swam along the beach in 12 - 20 feet of water. They could see it against the sandy bottom and follow it but were unable to tag it. Photos were taken. - Tom
Paying respects to Ted and the Clan would be my guess!
Somehow the NAME that these creatures bear...seems...ah...racist.
Ping
They forgot the one in Jaws!
I have a vision of sharks with graffiti on them.
But these creatures don’t show disfavor to anyone. They like them all!
They tagged eight of these things in the Chesapeake this week, apparently they're everywhere. Now that's scary!
LMAO!
Maybe I’ll open up photoshop and show you what I mean.
Looks good, but the shark doesn’t look mean enough!
Save the white sharks. Feed them Kennedies.
How about “Pretty Good” White Sharks?
OR
“About The Same As Another Color” Sharks?
Hah! I was going to leave the comment that: Next to cats, the great white shark is my 2nd favorite animal. Great work! :D
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