Small roller waves hit the beach as a light wind blew across the sandy-green waters off of Cape Cod, MA.
My friend and conservation content partner Paul Fuzinski and I were invited to board the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy (AWSC) research vessel for a day of drone-based shark research.
This group’s groundbreaking work was made famous in Texas when the big female named “LeeBeth,” they tagged in South Carolina Dec. 2023, showed up at South Padre Island, TX, last February.
Capt. Josh Higgins helmed the vessel, spending most of his time in the tower, which enabled him to look for sharks while driving.
Ashleigh Novak and Victoria Migneco took turns flying the drone, using the hydrophone to locate acoustic tag signals and logging information.
Above, a pilot from a spotter plane flew the area looking for any signs of sharks to signal to the AWSC vessel.
And it didn’t take long to find one.
Initially, they picked up the signal of “Commodore.”
“He’s been around this summer,. He was detected back in August and July,” Migneco said.
The signal was lost, and a few minutes later, the plane spotted a shark, and then a drone was deployed.
AWSC is working on a new study involving white sharks’ reaction to boats. A number of sharks have been found with prop scars, so observations are made of how the shark swims before and after a boat approach.
“You might think of a shark getting out of the way as soon as a boat approaches, but we’re seeing that’s not always the case,” Novak said.
“Having access to an area with a lot of sharks and the use of drones and spotter plans has given us a unique look at shark-boat interaction. The study is in its early stages, but we’re already seeing some interesting things.”
A shark was found, and it was one that had already been tagged which was obvious from the drone footage. However, a signal could not be picked up, so its identification wasn’t confirmed.
As I looked over, I saw Migneco entering the information into the Sharktivity app.
A few minutes later, I got an alert on my phone at 9:59 a.m.
Shark Alert: A Shark spotted 50 yards offshore south Nauset public beach, heading North.
I couldn’t help but smile and feel grateful for being on the boat and seeing this happen in real-time.
“LeeBeth” got my daughter Faith interested in sharks, and she eventually started following several of them. Seeing the shark on the drone monitor, then seeing it entered into the app and getting an update shows the uniqueness of the work AWSC is doing.
Paul and I were blown away to eventually see the shark cruising beside the boat, unbothered by our presence.
Here was this incredible creature that has fascinated me since I was a little boy, with its dorsal fin just a few feet under the water.
We could make out a tag on the shark and enjoyed its presence for a few minutes before it disappeared into deeper, murkier water.
When sharks are seen in certain areas, local officials are called so they can make an informed decision on how to proceed. Some choose to close beach water access for an hour or so, while others might choose differently.
We saw a white truck driving the beach with a purple-white shark flag waving, indicating the sharks’ presence.
It was amazing to see this unfold and to learn what an effective, impactful role AWSC is playing in the Cape Cod area.
Let’s face it-great white sharks are apex predators. There have been attacks on humans, so there is a potential danger factor.
But AWSC is giving people a deep look at these creatures, which shows they are not human hunters. They are actually after seals and other ocean life, and they spend much time just swimming along.
These creatures are an important part of the fragile ocean ecosystem, and their conservation has been a triumph of wise management decisions beginning in the 90s after decades of open season.
There’s much more to what I experienced that day (including more sharks) and learned in three days with AWSC. I’m typing this at the airport in Boston before I head back to Texas and couldn’t wait to share this aspect of the trip with you.
AWSC have powerfully blended science, public safety, and conservation awareness and they are making a difference in Cape Cod and beyond for great white sharks and people.
Be on the lookout for more from this trip in the coming weeks and months.
The experience left me in awe of the balance between advanced technology and conservation in protecting sharks and humans.
Download the Sharktivity app to track sharks and learn more about these iconic creatures.
Chester Moore
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