Cape Cod... too dangerous or okay?

[TuckerIdaho]

The seals have always been here but were a threatened species many years back. They've recovered and their numbers exploded in recent years. Hence, the buffet.

Yeah we did a great job of shooting them. If there's one thing we're (as humans) amazing at is completely screwing up an ecosystem. And keep thinking we can "fix" things.

 

[cjmiller]

Someone caught a sand tiger shark on the MA north shore, Manchester harbor, last week.

 

[cjmiller]

It's not fear, it's respect for an animal large enough to make a mistake fatal, on you. I wouldn't be concerned either to go and clear a prop in a chum slick. Maybe a seal chum slick but not fish chum slick, GW's around here aren't here for the fish.
/QUOTE]

Until they get big, GW eat fish. Once they get to say 10' they start to look for blubber, and big ones rely on that. They'll eat anything...

 

[AfterDark]

That's right there are seal eaters in MA. They are the big ones, their teeth have changed from fish eating teeth when they were young to triangle shaped seal eating teeth. The young ones that eat fish make smaller mistakes, the big ones eating seals they make big mistakes.

I don't recall any tagged young sharks off MA.

 

[AfterDark]

Someone caught a sand tiger shark on the MA north shore, Manchester harbor, last week.

Cool! I like sand tigers, when I go to NC I get swim around the wrecks with them. I've never seen one around here!

 

[TuckerIdaho]

We most certainly have sand tigers here.

 

[swimlikethefish]

That's right there are seal eaters in MA. They are the big ones, their teeth have changed from fish eating teeth when they were young to triangle shaped seal eating teeth. The young ones that eat fish make smaller mistakes, the big ones eating seals they make big mistakes.

I don't recall any tagged young sharks off MA.

I caught a 6ft juvenile GW last week. 9 miles SE of Block. Obviously, catch and release. Wasn't the target species we were after.

 

[formernuke]

The seals have always been here but were a threatened species many years back. They've recovered and their numbers exploded in recent years. Hence, the buffet.

Yup if you increase the prey the predators will follow.

 

[cjmiller]

For tagging, they target the larger sharks cruising shallow water that are easily spotted by air. Lots of bass fishermen reporting gw sharks taking their catch ir circling their boat last few years.

 

[AfterDark]

This is one of the things I love about diving, always something to learn.