3 days ago
Visit The Great White Shark Capital Of The World In Cape Cod
In Barnstable, Massachusetts, a sign at Sandy Neck beach informs visitors about white sharks ... More frequenting these waters.
A half-century after Jaws was filmed in New England, great white sharks have gone from fearsome foes to income-generating tourist attractions. The waters around Cape Cod, Massachusetts boast one of the largest seasonal populations of white sharks in the world, thanks in part to efforts to conserve these iconic ocean animals.
Hundreds of white sharks congregate in the North Atlantic to feed each year from May through October, making Cape Cod's coastal communities a popular place to see these apex predators up close.
'The number one reason people visit Cape Cod is because of outdoor recreation. Part of that experience these days is the recognition that sharks are here,' says Paul Niedzwiecki, CEO for the Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce.
Ocean-related tourism is a bedrock of the region. In 2023, visitors to Cape Cod spent $2.7 billion, supporting over 14,000 jobs, according to the Chamber.
Sharks are a big part of the Cape's 'blue economy', Niedzwiecki says. 'Retail establishments across the Cape are selling great white shark paraphernalia. We have tours that go out to see sharks and a scientific industry that's grown up around sharks.'
The boom in shark-viewing tourism in Cape Cod is evidence that the public is starting to see sharks as something to save rather than something to kill.
While some blame Jaws for giving sharks a bad rap by falsely portraying them as villainous man-eaters, others believe the movie drew much-needed attention to sharks.
'The movie was the red carpet that paved the way for their conservation,' says John Mandelman, Vice President and Chief Scientist of the Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life at the New England Aquarium. 'Many people have become mesmerized and fascinated with sharks through Jaws.'
Mandelman points to recent instances when white sharks have been stranded on a Cape Cod beach as a case in point for the shift in perception of sharks. 'We've had lines of people pouring water over their gills and helping them get them back into the ocean, similar to what would happen with a dolphin,' he says.
The burgeoning excitement about sharks is especially evident in children's excitement about the animals. When families visit the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy in Chatham, Massachusetts, 'young kids come in wearing their shark backpack and their favorite shark shirt,' says Marianna Walsh, Chief Operating Officer. 'They don't have that same fear as the adults who learned about sharks from movies like Jaws.'
Instead, the kids spout facts about sharks, including the predators' important role in balancing the ocean's ecosystem.
Sharks have a lot more to fear from humans than vice versa. While we are decidedly not on their menu, sharks are eaten by many people around the world.
Millions of these predators are killed each year for their meat and fins, or as bycatch by fishers targeting other species like tuna or cod. One-third of the world's 1,200 shark and ray species are threatened with extinction, according to a report released by the International Union for Conservation of Nature in November 2024.
In contrast, only 4 people died from unprovoked shark attacks last year across the globe, according to the International Shark Attack File. None of those fatalities happened in the Continental U.S.
Atlantic White Shark Conservancy's Shark Center in Provincetown, Cape Cod, Massachusetts. (Photo by: ... More Lindsey Nicholson/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
New England's dense number of great whites is a success story when it comes to saving sharks. Scientists estimate that about 800 white sharks visited the waters surrounding Cape Cod from 2015 to 2018, according to research published in 2023 in Marine Ecology Progress Series. This is nearly three times the number of white sharks estimated to swim off California's central coast.
This rise in great white shark sightings off Cape Cod is due to a few reasons. First, the U.S. government and Massachusetts prohibit the capture or killing of white sharks. The halt in shark hunting has likely helped their populations recover.
Second, grey seals—white sharks' main food source—have rebounded, thanks to the Marine Mammal Protection Act passed in 1972. New England's seal populations were wiped out by commercial fishing by the 1960s, but now number in the tens of thousands.
Third, more people are on and in the water with cameras. Both scientists and citizens are actively looking for sharks, which means they are finding more and also learning more about their behavior.
'Seeing so many white sharks in shallow waters every year is a great sign that fisheries management works,' Mandelman says. 'This is a really healthy sign for the ecosystem.'
Even though many more white sharks are feeding off Cape Cod, only one attack was reported in the past 87 years. This may be due in part to the uptick in education around sharks.
'Anytime you go to the beach or go into the ocean, you're going into a wild environment,' Walsh notes. 'Just like going into the mountains to hike, visitors should educate themselves and be aware of the wildlife that's present.'
Shark-smart practices include staying in groups while swimming, surfing or paddling, and avoiding murky water or places with seals or large schools of fish. When visiting outer beaches on the Cape, Walsh recommends staying in waist-deep water close to shore.
Another way to stay aware is the Sharktivity App, which has been downloaded 500,000 times. Citizens can upload photos of white shark sightings, which are then confirmed by scientists.
The app also shows the whereabouts of more than 300 white sharks tagged by the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy.
According to the app, four white sharks have been sighted around Cape Cod since May 11, 2025.
The shallow water and sandy beaches in Chatham, Cape Cod, Massachusetts is a popular summer ... More destination for people and white sharks alike.
Several eco-tour companies on Cape Cod offer boat trip excursions to view white sharks. These trips cost around $2,000 each. Charter companies often use a spotter plane to direct the boats to sharks. It's a more responsible, wildlife-friendly way for tourists to engage with sharks, as opposed to cage diving or baiting these predators. Both of these activities are illegal in Massachusetts.
Besides the sheer number of white sharks that hunt here each summer, Cape Cod is also the best place to see these animals because the coast's topography makes it easy to spot them in the shallows. Plus, you might glimpse one of the other 15 species of sharks that frequent New England waters, like a blue or basking shark.
'Our sandbars and really shallow shoals give us reliable access to the animals. We can actually find them,' Walsh says.
Tourists can sometimes spot their favorite white shark more than once. Much like the flukes of humpback whales, each white shark is recognizable by its unique pigment patterns and dorsal fin shape.
The Atlantic White Shark Conservancy's online logbook has photos of 700 white sharks, helping visitors or beachgoers identify any sharks they may spot. Each one is named, from Agnes to Zuzu.
As white sharks continue to generate income for communities and inspire awe among tourists, Mandelman hopes Cape Cod's example of successful human-shark co-existence will kickstart more shark conservation around the world.
"White sharks in New England can be a gateway to protecting other species that need our help,' he says.
