ORLEANS – Police on Cape Cod had to call in a tow truck to remove a huge shark that washed up on a beach in Massachusetts.
Orleans Police have shared photos of the great white shark being towed from a local beach.
“Not one of our typical calls for service,” the department said.
Shark found on Orleans beach
After the shark was discovered, police called Nauset Recovery to remove it. The company placed the dead shark on a flatbed truck.
“You really never know what type of call you’re going to respond to on any given shift. At least Sergeant Elliott only had to follow the tow truck and didn’t have to wrestle an unruly Great White,” police said.
The Atlantic White Shark Conservancy said it is not yet known how the shark died.
“A great white shark has been found washed up near the town of Orleans, Massachusetts. A necropsy will be performed to learn more. At this time we do not know if it was a tagged or previously identified individual,” the organization said.
Orleans police
Massachusetts sharks
At the beginning of summer the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy installed acoustic shark receivers along the Outer Cape in an effort to make swimmers safer from marine life.
The devices were installed at several beaches, including Nauset Beach in Orleans.
A 2023 study found that an estimated 800 white sharks were living in Massachusetts waters between 2015 and 2018. The sharks are regularly attracted along the coast seals in the area.
Shark sightings weren’t just limited to Cape Cod this summer. Popular Crane Beach in Ipswich was closed for swimmers in September due to several great white shark sightings.
