Blog: Shark activity in and around Massachusetts

Beach season is back in Massachusetts and with it, shark sightings.

Shark sightings became near-daily occurrences in 2018. After a 26-year-old man was killed - the state's first deadly incident in over 80 years - officials spent the offseason finding ways to make beaches safer.

The Executive Office of Public Safety announced that $383,000 was being allocated to help buy emergency call boxes in areas where cell service is limited, satellite phones for lifeguards, and all-terrain vehicles that can more quickly reach patients on the beach with specialized medical equipment.

Officials in Orleans teamed up with the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy (AWSC) for the "Stop the Bleed" program which provides the local community with a training course to combat shark bites.

In Marshfield, the harbormaster deployed shark-detecting buoys near the town's busiest beaches to gather data on shark movement.

>> Learn more: The complete guide to shark season in New England

Here are the confirmed shark sightings so far this year:

Sunday, Sept. 1, 12:45 p.m.: Duxbury Beach was closed Sunday afternoon after a shark sighting.

Sunday, Sept. 1, 12:45 p.m.: A white shark was spotted two miles south of Nauset Public Beach in Orleans, Swimmers were called out of the water for one hour.

Sunday, Sept. 1, 12:06 p.m.: A white shark sighting at Head of the Meadow Beach called for no swimming order for one hour.

Saturday, Aug. 31, 2:00 p.m.: A temporary no swimming order issued after shark spotted at Head of the Meadow Beach.

Saturday, Aug. 31, 11:30 a.m.: A white shark was seen at Race Point Beach on the Cape, closing the beach for an hour.

Saturday, Aug. 31, 9:55 a.m. & 10:39 a.m.: Two sharks spotted at Nauset Public Beach at different times, one was seen eating a seal. Beach temporarily closed until 11:35 a.m.

Friday, Aug. 30, 9:55 a.m.: Shark sighted at Marconi Public Beach, closed to swimming for one hour.

Friday, Aug. 23, 3:45 p.m.: Nauset Public Beach closed after a great white shark was seen devouring a seal close to shore. A temporary swimming ban is in effect for one hour.

Friday, Aug. 23, 2:48 p.m: A confirmed sighting of a shark breaching 300 yards (0.27 km) off Long Beach closes all Plymouth beaches for 3 hours.

Friday, Aug. 23, 2:00 p.m.: Marconi Beach closed to swimming for one hour after confirmed shark sighting.

Friday, Aug. 23, 9:46 a.m.: Newcomb Hollow Beach closed to swimming after two white sharks pinged by buoy.

Thursday, Aug. 22, 1:30 p.m.: Beach closed to swimming for an hour at Head of the Meadow due to shark sighting.

Thursday, Aug. 22, 10:15 a.m.: Beach closed to swimming for an hour at Head of the Meadow due to shark sighting.

Wednesday, Aug. 21, 10:30 a.m.: Water closed for swimming at Newcomb Hollow Beach after buoy pinged tagged white shark.

Tuesday, Aug. 20, 9:30 a.m.: Newcomb Hollow Beach closed for swimming after buoy pinged tagged white shark.

Monday Aug. 19, 1:30 p.m.: Great white shark sighting at Nauset Public Beach, water closed for swimming until 2 p.m.

Monday, Aug. 19, 10:40 a.m.: Shark sighting closes Marconi Beach until 11:30 a.m.

Monday, Aug. 19, 9:30 a.m.: Confirmed white shark sighting near Newcomb Hollow Beach. Beach closed for swimming until 10:27 a.m.

Sunday, Aug. 18, 10:55 a.m.: No swimming at Marconi Beach for one hour after shark spotted offshore.

Saturday, Aug. 17, 4:05 p.m.: Head of the Meadow Beach in Truro was closed through 5 p.m. after a confirmed shark sighting by the town.

Saturday, Aug. 17, 12:15 p.m.: All Plymouth town beaches closed for three hours after lobsterman report spotting an 8-9" white shark at the surface alongside his boat.

Saturday, Aug. 17, 9:50 a.m.: Nauset Beach closed for swimming for one hour after great white shark spotted nearby eating a seal.

Friday, Aug. 16, 10:25 a.m.: Great white shark spotted 60 yards off shore at Nauset Beach. Beach closed to swimming for one hour from 10:15 a.m. to 11:15 a.m.

Thursday, Aug. 15, 11:00 a.m.: Shark sighted at Marconi Beach. Protected beach closed to swimming for an hour.

Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2:08 p.m.: Newcomb Hollow Beach in Wellfleet closed for swimming for one hour after a tagged white shark was detected.

Tuesday, Aug. 13, 11:15 a.m.: Two sharks were sighted within a mile of Marconi Beach. Beach was designated "wade only" for at least one hour.

Tuesday, Aug. 13, 8:05 a.m.: A shark sighting closed down Ballston Beach in Truro for one hour.

Monday, Aug. 12, 2:30 p.m.: Plymouth Beach was closed for a portion of the day after a fisherman noticed a white shark in the water near Brown's Bank, which is located about half a mile away from the tip of the beach.

Monday, Aug. 12, 1:00 p.m.: Head of the Meadow Beach closed for an hour after confirmed shark sighting.

Monday, Aug. 12, 11:45 a.m.: Marconi Beach closed until 12:46 p.m. due to a white shark sighting.

Sunday, Aug. 11, 11:05 a.m.: Coast Guard Beach in Eastham closed for swimming for one hour after shark sighting.

Sunday, Aug. 11, 10:00 a.m.: Nauset Beach closed for swimming for one hour after shark spotted 15 yards offshore.

Friday, Aug. 9, 11:00 a.m.: Nauset Beach closed for swimming for one hour for the third day in a row after a white shark was spotted eating a seal.

Thursday, Aug. 8, 10:30 a.m.: Nauset Beach closed for swimming for one hour following shark sighting.

Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2:00 p.m.: Head of the Meadow Beach closed for one hour after white shark sighted 150 yards south of the beach.

Wednesday, Aug. 7, 11:50 a.m.: Nauset Beach closed for an hour (dependent on additional sightings) after white shark spotted 50 yards off the beach.

Monday, Aug. 5, 1:30 p.m.:  A white shark was spotted off the coast of Provincetown by a State Police helicopter. Several beaches were closed to swimming for an hour.

Saturday, Aug. 3, 10:45 a.m, and 11:32 a.m.: There have been two confirmed white shark sightings off the coast of Cape Cod, according to the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy Sharktivity app. Nauset Public beach closed for one hour.

Saturday, Aug. 3, 9:40 a.m.: Nantucket Harbormaster said all beaches along the entire south shore closed for at least two hours due to a shark sighting.

Friday, Aug. 2, 12:30 p.m.: Edgartown Police said a shark sighting off the coast of Martha's Vineyard has closed South Beach for one hour.

Thursday, Aug. 1, 1:50 p.m.: Longnook Beach in Truro closed for swimming for one hour due to Great White Shark sighting.

Wednesday, July 31, 1:50 p.m.: A white shark was confirmed spotted near Newcomb Hollow Beach in Wellfleet, one day after a shark sighting closed down the beach. It was closed to swimmers for an hour.

Tuesday, July 30, 1:10 p.m.: A white shark was spotted near Newcomb Hollow Beach at the Wellfleet and Truro line.

Thursday, July 25, 10:40 a.m.: Witnesses reported seeing a shark take a seal about 70 feet off the coast of North Truro. Reports said there was a seal, a fin and shortly after, an eruption of blood.

Wednesday, July 24, 10:49 a.m.: According to the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy, a white shark was seen off the coast near Head of the Meadow Beach, about 50 yards offshore. Officials have closed down the beach for one hour following the sighting.

Sunday, July 21, 6:30 p.m.: Multiple shark sightings along the eastern part of Cape Cod closed several beaches for the second time in as many weekends.

Tuesday, July 16, 11:40 a.m.: Head of the Meadow Beach in Truro closed for an hour after confirmed shark sighting.

Sunday, July 14, 4:30 p.m.: Another shark sighting in Truro closes Longnook Beach for an hour. It is the third Truro beach to be shut down temporarily due to sharks in one weekend.

Saturday, July 13, 1:30 p.m.: Shark sightings close two Truro beaches and a third in Orleans. Atlantic White Shark Conservancy identifies the sharks as White sharks.

Tuesday, July 2, 12:20 p.m.: White shark spotted 40 yards off Wellfleet.

Monday, July 1: White shark seen swimming about 50 yards offshore of Nauset Beach.

Saturday, June 29: Shark seen feeding on a seal off Truro.

Friday, June 28: Confirmed white shark sighting off Chatham.

Monday, June 24: Confirmed white shark sighting in Cape Cod Bay.

Saturday, June 22: White shark seen attacking a seal off Monomoy.

>> Want to learn more about sharks: Chatham Shark Center researching, tagging and teaching all about sharks

Make sure to download the Boston 25 News app for alerts on shark sightings, attacks, and beach closures. Available on iOS and Android devices.

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