White sharks, often called great white sharks, have continued to be spotted in Cape Cod waters, including near some beaches.
Researchers reported the first Cape & Island shark activity of the season in May, when a seal with white shark bite marks washed ashore on Martha’s Vineyard. That’s continued all summer with 57 sightings reported in the last week, and more than 20 in the past two days.
The Sharktivity app shows that there have been several shark sightings in Massachusetts from Wednesday, Aug. 12 through Aug. 14.
Here’s what to know about the reported shark sightings since Aug. 12.
New research suggests basking sharks actively feed during long-distance migrations rather than relying solely on stored energy reserves, as previously assumed for many migratory sharks.
How many sharks have been seen since last week?
There were 17 shark sightings by humans plus two “shark alerts” from Aug. 12 through Aug. 14, according to the Sharktivity app.
According to the Sharktivity app, they include:
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Aug. 12, 2026, 9:13 a.m. – One white shark spotted 200 yards off of North Beach Island, heading off shore.
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Aug. 12, 2026, 9:57 a.m. – Multiple white sharks were reported by a pilot off of Monomoy Island.
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Aug. 12, 2026, 10:19 a.m. – A white shark was spotted 25 yards off of Monomoy Island.
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Aug. 12, 2026, 1:09 p.m. – A white shark was spotted by pilot.
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Aug. 12, 2026, 1:41 p.m. – A white shark was spotted 100 yards off Monomoy Island, heading north.
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Aug. 12, 2026, 3:22 p.m. – A white shark was spotted 25 yards off of Monomoy Island, traveling southward.
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Aug. 12, 2026, 4:25 p.m. – A white shark was sighted with the comment “6-7 feet.”
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Aug. 13, 2026, 9:59 a.m. – A white shark was spotted 25 yards off of Monomoy Island, heading south.
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Aug. 13, 2026, 10:10 a.m. – A single white shark was seen 100 yards off the shore of Monomoy Island.
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Aug. 13, 2026, 10:12 a.m. – A white shark was spotted 100 feet away from the shore of Monomoy Island, north of Shark Cove
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Aug. 13, 2026, 10:40 a.m. – A white shark was sighted right outside of the Chatham South Cut.
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Aug. 13, 2026, 10:47 a.m. – A white shark was seen 100 yards off of Monomoy Island, heading offshore.
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Aug. 13, 2026, 2:02 p.m. – One white shark seen 25 yards off Monomoy Island, heading north.
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Aug. 13, 2026, 3:02 p.m. – A single white shark was spotted 50 feet from the shore off North Beach Island, just north of the South Cut.
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Aug. 13, 2026, 3:28 p.m. – A white shark was spotted just outside the South Cut.
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Aug. 14, 2026, 9:33 a.m. – One white shark spotted 300 yards off of Monomoy Island, traveling southward.
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Aug. 14, 2026, 12:53 p.m. – A white shark was spotted 100 yards off of Monomoy Island, heading south.
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Aug. 14, 2026 – A shark alert said that a white shark was spotted 200 yards outside of the south cut of Chatham Harbor.
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Aug. 14, 2026 – Another shark alert said a white shark was seen off the North Beach Island in Chatham, Massachusetts, heading south.
Generic image of a great white shark.
How many types of sharks are in Massachusetts waters?
Ryan Knotek, an associate research scientist with the New England Aquarium told the USA Today Network in 2023 there are at least 23 species of sharks that call New England waters home or that pass through the region.
Those include hammerheads, basking sharks, blue sharks, shortfin makos, porbeagle sharks, sand tiger sharks and others.
Where can people report, keep track of shark sightings?
The public can report sightings on shark activity through the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy’s Sharktivity app.
The app, which offers push notifications, is a source for shark sightings, detections and movements. I’s goal it to help people and sharks coexists.
Previous USA Today Network reporting contributed to this story.
This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Great white sharks have been spotted off Cape Cod. Here’s where.