Of the several shark species traced along the shores of Massachusetts, the basking shark is the most common. Since 2004, around 57 of them have been tagged using the PSAT or Pop-up satellite archival tag.
The great white shark also has a decent population here, with 120 tagged along Cape Cod’s east coast since 2009. They have a seasonal migration pattern prominently seen in the Cape Cod area during August. In 2021 more than 63,000 great whites were detected here in the month of August 33, 775 in September, and 31,023 in October. In 2022, the first great white of the season was tagged along the Chatham coast as per the reports provided by the Atlantic White Conservancy or AWC.
According to the records provided by the International Shark Attack File Massachusetts, there have been 17 shark attacks in the state, with the first one occurring on the Sandwich coast. Of the two noted fatal attacks, one was in 1936 and the other in 2018.
List of the Different Types of Sharks in Massachusetts
| Species | Maximum Size | Aggressiveness |
| Basking Shark | 23-30 feet | Not aggressive |
| Great White Shark | 11-16 feet | Highly aggressive |
| Blue Shark | 6-11 feet | Not aggressive |
| Shortfin Mako | 6.5-9.5 feet | Highly aggressive |
| Porbeagle | 6-12 feet | Not aggressive |
| Sand Tiger Shark | 7-10 feet | Not aggressive (due to their small mouths) |
| Common Thresher Shark | 12-18 feet | Not aggressive |
| Sandbar Shark | 5.5-8.5 feet | Not aggressive |
| Smooth Dogfish | 4-5 feet | Not aggressive (due to their blunt teeth) |
| Tiger Shark | 10-14 feet | Highly aggressive |
| Smooth Hammerhead Shark | 8-12 feet | Not aggressive (but potentially dangerous) |
| Whale Shark | 18-32 feet | Not aggressive |
| Devil Rays | 6-9 feet | Not aggressive |
Interesting Facts
- The video of a giant shark filmed from a tall ship Corwith Cramer, on the Massachusetts coast created hype on social media. The mighty stature of the shark compelled people to believe that the prehistoric megalodon was back. The shark in question was the harmless basking shark, which can grow to a maximum length of 40 feet.
- In a rare incident in 2004, a great white shark weighing 1700 pounds and measuring around 14 feet was trapped for many days in a saltwater pond close to Woods Hole. The officials finally rescued the shark and sent it back to the ocean- its natural habitat.
