Sharks Want Seals Not People

 More than 13 dozen sharks have been spotted lurking in shallow waters near the sandy shores of Cape Cod beaches as of early August in the summer of 2019.

But an official of the Massachusetts Department of Fish and Game advises tourists and locals  alike that, "The sharks are here on Cape Cod to eat seals, not people."

That statement may not have reassured beachgoers at Cahoon Hollow Beach in Wellfleet, two weeks ago when the shark seen in the photo below, was sneaking around in the surf, barely a hundred yards from shore. 

This is the same  beach where a man died from a shark attack last year.  This year, there have been a few close calls but no reported shark injuries. 

Photo by Wayne Davis of the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy

Tourism is big business on Cape Cod.  There are only 200,000 year rounders on the island but the area plays host to millions of summer residents and tourists.

There are so many vacationers on Cape that the local businesses are not able to hire enough workers to handle the crowds.  Summer help from many places around the globe supplement the work force.  This year the Massachusetts legislators approved an extra 30,000 foreign workers for the season. 

How well the businesses will do in light of the proliferation of sharks is unknown.  Sometimes it appears that the sharks draw tourists like a magnet.  Yet others report that their business has slowed down recently.

A manufacturer of jewelry and eyeglass cleaning products, John Morash of Clear, Bright, n Shiny, reports that his business in May and June was very brisk.  He said that in July it slowed quite a bit.  He sells his products at locations in Yarmouth and Wellfleet (where the fatal shark attack occurred).

This shark was spotted in Nantucket Sound, on the warm side of Cape Cod, in the middle of July. Photo by Joseph Prezioso/AFP/Getty Images

Last year's fatal shark was the first in the United States since 2015, and the first in New England since 1936.

The Massachusetts Department of Fish and Game advises that shark attacks are very rare and that the sharks are looking for seals and not targeting people - but occasionally strike people by mistake.  

Swimmers are advised to stay close to shore and stay away from seals. 

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