Great White Shark Circles Cape Cod Bay Boaters For 15 Minutes

Boaters in Massachusetts’s Cape Cod Bay encountered an eight-foot great white shark, which circled them for about 15 minutes before swimming away, as they drifted in the water.

The boaters took pictures of the sighting off Sandy Neck Beach near Sandwich on Saturday, July 18, and the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy based on Massachusetts identified the shark Sunday, CBS Boston reported.

The shark that circled the boat was said to be one of the three sighted near Sandy Neck Beach that same day, according to the findings of the agency’s Sharktivity map. The sighting was a "lifelong memory" for both the adults and kids aboard the boat, the agency said in a statement.

A boater shared snaps of the white shark on Twitter Saturday, to which the conservancy replied “Absolutely beautiful pictures!"

People flocking the beaches and spending time on water during hot summer days fuel a rise in shark activity in the area. Over the last few days, the conservancy confirmed at least six shark sightings around Cape Cod and to the South Shore.

NBC Boston said Duxbury Beach, about 42 miles from Cape Cod, was closed for an hour before noon Sunday due to possible shark sightings.

Since late June, there have been as many as 18 shark sightings along the Massachusetts Bay area, with 12 being reported on July 2 alone, according to Masslive.com.

In September 2018, a swimmer, 26, was killed near the Newcomb Hollow beach in what was believed to be the first fatal shark attack in more than 80 years. Two more shark attacks were reported that year on Cape Cod beaches.