Shark sightings may increase near NJ coast, experts say

On a recent afternoon, a crowd of beachgoers at Cape May Point watched from the beach as a shark licked in the shallows, seemingly interrupting the ocean sun for a while. of visitors who may be afraid of the often feared creature.

Those who wanted to know enough walked towards it, standing on the sand, watching the waves as it swam.

It appeared about a week after another was recorded on the Jersey Shore, and local marine experts believe it’s because the animals are chasing heavy baitfish near the shore.

Although a shark can strike fear into swimmers, Carlee Dunn, a marine biologist, says people who encounter one must not panic. Also, environmentalists should accept their appearance as a sign of a healthy ocean.

“These are sharks that eat fish,” said Dunn, a member of the Cape May Whale Watch and Research Center. “When you see sharks in our area, they’re usually there to feed on Atlantic Menhaden or bunker.”

The research center’s interest in the Cape May Point shark has been fueled by a video of its sighting that has been shared online in recent days. Dunn said it was difficult to determine what species the animal was, but he said hammerhead sharks are often seen near New Jersey beaches.

“We wouldn’t be surprised if it was that type,” Dunn said. “We actually have a good number of them here. I think that surprises a lot of people.”

Although the number of shark sightings reported by the Cape May Whale Watch and Research Center has remained steady in recent years, Melissa Laurino, director of the research center, said her team has documented 200 hammerhead sharks — many in the most they have ever seen in one day. – during a trip abroad in 2023.

According to Laurino, smaller species of sharks, up to three or four feet long, are often seen near the shore.

However, in Aug. 8, researchers at the center found a pair of basking sharks, the second largest fish in the world, about three kilometers off the coast of Cape May.

The sighting came just one week after they saw another of its kind five kilometers offshore, and marked the center’s fourth such sighting. shark since July 26, according to Laurino. It was their first time seeing more than one shark at the same time, he said. Laurino’s team goes to the beach 200 days a year.

Laurino said his team saw basking sharks, which can grow to 45 feet long and feeds on very small creatures, about 50 to 100 miles offshore. But since 2011, the team has not seen any within five kilometers of the coast. “It’s a very rare sight to be near the coast,” Laurino said.

The increase in shark sightings near the coast may be due to “more food and better water conditions,” Laurino said. He noted that the sharks were moving in “cool water” yesterday.

According to Paul Eidman, a fisherman and marine conservation advocate, the “upwelling of cold water” from the south has caused ocean temperatures to be colder than normal this year. He said it causes some species to increase, while others decrease.

Last year, Eidman said he saw more sharks than in previous years, including the southernmost species, during his fishing trips off the coast of Point Pleasant. “I’ve never seen so many sharks,” Eidman said.

As shark sightings are common, and expected to increase, according to Eidman, he warned beachgoers to avoid swimming in the ocean during low light.

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Eric Conklin can be achieved at econklin@njadvancemedia.com.

Rebecca Heath can be reached at RHeath@njadvancemedia.com.