Shark sightings surge along southern Maine coast as experts explain what's driving the spike

Shark sightings are on the rise this summer in southern Maine, with local law enforcement urging beachgoers to be cautious in the water as several white sharks have been caught on camera.

Researchers say reported white shark sightings are up this year, though the increase may partly reflect favorable beach weather and more people actively looking for the predators.

"I would say there’s no question that there’s been a lot more sightings this year. Does that translate into a higher number of sharks is a little bit of a nuanced question. There’s a lot of things to consider in there," said Dr. Walt Golet, assistant professor of marine sciences at the University of Maine. 

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"While sighting reports are very helpful, the number of sightings reported to us is often influenced by nice weather and the number of people at the beach," said Matt Davis, marine resource scientist at the Maine Department of Marine Resources. "We've had great weather this year for beach tourism, and we also have a number of people with drones actively looking for sharks, so sightings are high."

Daryen Granata, harbor master and marine resource officer for the town of Scarborough, said the police department began receiving numerous shark sighting reports in early July. Several were captured on video.

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"They were off of Pine Point Beach for a substantial amount of time," said Granata. "They've kind of migrated now. They're more off the Scarborough Beach State Park and Higgins Beach area at this point. We're still seeing them on a daily basis. Still to this day, and it's been, you know, three weeks at this point."

Granata, who has lived in Scarborough for more than 30 years, said shark sightings have become much more common in recent years, especially sightings of juvenile sharks. But whether that means there are actually more sharks in the Gulf of Maine is less clear.

"We have all this drone technology. We have all the cell phone videos. We've got a lot of higher-grade technology than we did, you know, 10 or 15, 20 years ago. So we're seeing them," said Granata.

Granata said the police department captures its own drone footage of sharks, as do independent photographers and beachgoers. Social media has added another stream of reported sightings, all of which can contribute to the perception that there are more sharks in the area.

"Previously, people weren't looking for sharks with the same intensity or aerial equipment," said Davis.

Researchers say white shark populations have been slowly recovering for decades after the federal government put protections in place in the 1990s. Maine's seal population has also grown, providing a key food source for white sharks.

"It's very possible that the number of white sharks we see now is more reflective of their natural population size, or at least the closest it's been to the natural population size in several decades," explained Davis. "Think of this as a population success story in that the ocean is regaining one of its apex predators to help balance the food chain."

"If you protect the food and protect the predator, it makes sense that you see this rebound especially since the generation time for white sharks is about 25 to 30 years," said Golet. "I also think that there’s a lot of bait around along the Maine coast in the form of striped bass and Atlantic menhaden, both of which are eaten by juvenile white sharks, which is what we have in high numbers."

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Researchers say warming ocean temperatures could eventually lead sharks to remain in the Gulf of Maine for longer periods. That could make frequent shark sightings a more regular occurrence along the coast.

"There are definitely more sharks in Maine than I've ever seen in my entire life," said Kelsey Donohue, who's lived in Scarborough her whole life. "Like growing up here, we used to joke around about sharks, but we would be like, 'oh, we live in Maine, so we never see sharks!'"

"This really is the first time that I've heard for Pine Point that we had a shark sighting," said Betty MacLeod, longtime Scarborough resident.

The Scarborough Police Department is urging people to stay vigilant while in the water.

Officials recommend that people swimming in areas where sharks have been spotted avoid dawn and dusk, when sharks can be more active, and never swim alone. They also recommend avoiding murky water and remaining in waist-deep water or shallower.

Beachgoers with open wounds should stay out of the water. Officials also advise swimmers to remove jewelry before entering the water.

"Just be cognizant of what you're doing and where you are," said Granata. "Just have good situational awareness, that's all."