People in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, got the surprise of their lives on Monday after a pair of shark sightings.
The first one, which took place off the coast of Provincetown, was spotted by boaters and featured a great white that measured about 16 or 17 feet long. The creature even managed to bump the boat.
In Barnstable, passengers on a cruise boat also saw a shark in the water.
Several beaches in Cape Cod were closed on Monday due to reports of shark sightings. More than 180 sharks have been spotted in the area this summer and that number may go up.
Dr. Greg Skomal of the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries commented on the phenomenon.
"Well, it appears that the water temperatures, as well as the presence of seals, is really optimal for white sharks," he said, "and so August, September and October are the big months and as soon as temperatures start to decline in early November the sharks begin to leave."