More than 100 great white sharks have been detected off Maine’s coast over the last 13 years, with most of them found in recent years and in relatively shallow waters, according to new research that has been just been published
The Maine Department of Marine Resources has been collaborating with other groups on that research since 2020, when a swimmer was killed by a white shark off Harpswell. It was the state’s first recorded fatal shark attack, and officials have worked to develop a better understanding of their behavior in Maine waters.
They have just published some of their findings in the journal Frontiers in Marine Science. The Atlantic White Shark Conservancy and the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries were also among the contributors to the study.
The researchers used receivers deployed in several spots along Maine’s coastline over the last decade — including off York, Ogunquit, Kennebunk and Reid State Park — to detect sharks that had been previously tagged off Cape Cod, Massachusetts, and off Hilton Head, South Carolina.
It is the first study that has characterized the movement of white sharks over time in the region, according to the researchers.
“We are excited to have this study published and continue to expand our understanding of white sharks in the western North Atlantic and the coastal waters in Maine,” said Matt Davis, the lead author of the study and a scientist with the Maine Department of Marine Resources. “This work could not have been done without the collaboration of many researchers and organizations, and we thank everyone involved.”
Among the findings were that most of the sharks have been detected in recent years in water less than 50 meters deep and their appearances have peaked between July and September.
During this period, the receiver stations with some of the the most white shark observations were off Ogunquit, Kennebunk and Head Beach in Phippsburg
The study noted that half of the shark detections happened during daylight hours, when humans use beaches the most. But it also found that there were many fewer detections near Maine beaches than in other areas where the sharks are commonly known to gather, such as off Cape Cod. Researchers added that there is no reason to expect significant overall risk to humans who enter the water.