Before we leave the dock, our spotter spots a white shark. “Eleven o’clock, two boat lengths,” says AWSC private charter captain Paul Garganigo.
Mirage-like shark emerges from shallows. On our three-hour AWSC tour of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, we track three more nine- to 12-foot great
whites, including the wonderfully titled Major Bro Dude. Every dorsal fin and white underbelly flare thrills.
The waters of Cape Cod are home to the only North Atlantic white shark aggregation location and one of the world's densest seasonal concentrations
of adult white sharks from May to October. Due to Cape Cod's record shark population, the toothy visitors have become an odd source of pride
and ecotourism. Chatham, a seaside hamlet 30 nautical miles from where Jaws created a different kind of shark craze, today sees white sharks as usual.
“To be honest, I was a little nervous at first,” admits Gary Thulander, Chatham Bars Inn managing director and Chamber of Commerce president.
I own a hotel, and suddenly people are talking about white sharks. God, will that effect us? The opposite is true. More interest than ever.”
Over a dozen operators, including Blue Water Entertainment, Outermost Harbor Marine, and AWSC, a nonprofit that supports white shark research and conservation