Great White Sharks on Cape Cod

Monomoy Island

Monomoy Island, an 8 mile long spit of sand extending south from Chatham, Cape Cod has quickly become the epicenter of Great White Shark activity on the east coast. Established as the Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge this beautiful, remote island is perfectly situated along Cape Cod’s prime fishing grounds. The confluence of abundant fish and few humans attracted seals to the area after the Marine Mammal Protection Act was enacted in 1972. Historically considered a nuisance and freely hunted by fisherman, seals were incredibly rare on Cape Cod at the time. Now protected, the remaining animals found Monomoy and Chatham’s nearby South Beach Island to be such an ideal home that their numbers quickly grew from just a few to a massive seal colony numbering over 15,000.

Fast forward to 2010… reports of great white shark sightings skyrocket in the Chatham area. Drawn in to the shallow waters in pursuit of their favorite food- fatty seals- Great Whites are suddenly seen with astounding frequency. Chatham becomes ground zero for legendary Great Whites on the East Coast and is suddenly one of a handful of Great White “hot spots” around the world.

Of course, Great Whites have always been present in the North Atlantic waters off of Cape Cod. Their sudden appearance in Cape Cod’s shallow coastal waters has created renewed fascination, respect, and fear for these legendary apex predators and are the inspiration for our brand of Chatham Whites apparel.