PHOTO COURTESY: ATLANTIC WHITE SHARK CONSERVANCY
A seal barely escapes a shark attack off the coast of Monomoy
CHATHAM – Researchers captured dramatic video Monday off Monomoy of a shark jumping out of the water in an attempt to lock its jaws on a seal.
Dr. Greg Skomal and the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy shot the video that shows the great white shark exploding out of the water as it chased a seal.
It appears the seal was able to escape.
It’s been an active few days for researchers off the coast of Chatham. In addition to the video shot on Monday, Skomal also tagged another two great white sharks.
He’s now tagged at least 12 great whites just off-shore since Friday. On Sunday, spotter pilot Wayne Davis was able to video a white shark preying on a grey seal just off Monomoy.
Skomal, a state fisheries biologist, is in the second year of a study to track the number and movements of great white sharks off Cape Cod.
In the first year of the study, Skomal tagged 68 great white sharks in waters off Chatham and Orleans in weekly trips made mid-June through October 2014.
Earlier this year, Skomal said they will be able to see if any of the sharks spotted last year return to the region’s waters this summer.
The video of the White Shark pursuing the Gray Seal offers an amazing display of predation – so close to the beach.