Season's First White Shark Spotted Off Nantucket

NANTUCKET, MA — White sharks have officially returned to Massachusetts waters.

The Atlantic White Shark Conservancy confirmed the first white shark sighting of the season in a tweet Monday after the Nantucket Current shared a video of the shark eating a seal close to shore.

White sharks, also called great white sharks, are widely feared by beachgoers. 51% of Americans admitted to being absolutely terrified of sharks, and 38% said they're scared to swim in the ocean because of them, according to a 2015 Ipsos study.

But the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy says white shark attacks on people, which are rare, typically happen for one of three reasons:

• Sharks can mistake people for marine mammals, like seals.
• A shark uses its teeth like a dog uses its nose — a bite might occur because a shark was trying to gather information.
• Sharks can be just as afraid of people as people can be of them. Sometimes attacks are defensive, because a shark was startled.

"White sharks aren't out to get you," the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy says on its website. "People are not on a shark's menu. If they were, the number of encounters between sharks and people would be much higher."

Staying Safe At The Beach

If you're still worried about encountering a shark in Massachusetts waters, the National Park Service has a few tips for Cape Cod beachgoers:

• Avoid areas with seals and schools of fish
• Stay close to shore
• Stay with a group, whether you're swimming, surfing, paddling or kayaking.
• Keep splashing to a minimum

If you see a shark, the National Park Service and the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy recommend reporting the sighting on the Sharktivity app, which helps researchers gather helpful data.