Overview
- Two Massachusetts brothers fishing near Falmouth hooked, photographed and released a five-foot juvenile tiger shark after reeling it to shore.
- Researchers say the species is normally far more common in warm southern waters, so its appearance off Cape Cod is notable and unexpected.
- Scientists link the sighting to a broader trend of marine animals moving north as ocean temperatures rise and are flagging the event for further study.
- Tiger sharks grow very large, eat a wide range of prey and sometimes swallow man-made items, and adults are regarded as relatively dangerous though unprovoked fatal attacks are rare.
- Other recent reports, including a tiger shark landed briefly on a New Jersey beach, suggest the Mid-Atlantic and New England coasts merit more monitoring for shifting shark presence and possible effects on fisheries and beach safety.