National Park After Dark - Blood in the Water: Cape Cod National Seashore

Episode Date: June 17, 2024

Sharks have swum the world’s waters for millennia – there is a reason they are referred to as living dinosaurs. Their presence globally is not new, but their comeback in certain parts of the world is not celebrated by everyone. In September of 2018, Arthur Medici was killed while recreating in the waters off Cape Cod after sustaining a white shark bite. His death, the first shark related death in state history since 1936, has sparked an intense debate about the sharks, seals and people who live, work and play in the waters of the Atlantic. Arthur’s death prompted the question - what do we do? But also, haven’t we already done enough?Arthur Medici Scholarship HEREMERCH For a full list of our sources, visit npadpodcast.com/episodesFor the latest NPAD updates, group travel details, merch and more, follow us on npadpodcast.com and our socials:Instagram: @‌nationalparkafterdarkTikTok: @‌nationalparkafterdarkSupport the show by becoming an Outsider and receive ad free listening, bonus content and more on Patreon or Apple Podcasts. Want to see our faces? Catch full episodes on our YouTube Page!Thank you to this week’s partners!Vionic Shoes: Use code NPAD to get 15% off your order when you log into your account.Cremo Bodwash: You can find all the new, decadent scents of Cremo Women’s Body Wash at Walgreens, CVS, or CremoCompany.com BetterHelp: National Park After Dark is sponsored by BetterHelp. Get 10% off.HelloFresh: Use our link to get free appetizers for life. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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The invisible spread, the unseen jump from person to person, is terrifying. But what about the transmission of terror itself? It's been long understood that body language, including facial expressions, communicate fear, and can even create an automatic response to it. Fear is an extremely important evolutionary mechanism, and humans, along with millions of other species, have developed it for a reason, to keep us safe. But fear can spiral out of control fast.

People have developed fears of almost everything under the sun. What is terrifying to one person may be a complete non-issue to another. Despite fears of all kinds, the horror genre is alive and well. In particular, the natural horror genre, because there is something about man-eating animals that really gets us going. Movies like Tremors, The Birds, Coojo, Anaconda, Araknophobia, beast, rogue, and even cocaine bear have all cemented their place in our psyches. But nothing tops the films featuring the biggest fish in the sea. Sharks.

There are dozens, if not hundreds of movies that fuel our fear of sharks. There has been such an increase in galophobia, the irrational fear of sharks, that psychologists are actually beginning to study why. So far, it appears that our fear of sharks is a learned behavior and socially reinforced, and one doesn't have to look much farther than films like Jaws to see why. Your chances of winning the power ball are better than being bitten by a shark, but that fact doesn't matter much to those who have witnessed or survived a shark encounter, because blood in the water is an image that cannot be unseen. Welcome to National Park After Dark.

I'm so excited for this episode. Are you? Yes, because one, I think that it's weird that we haven't turned a shark attack episode so far. We've done so many other ones, but I just think that the conversation about sharks is really interesting. I agree. And being near the Cape and it's funny that you mentioned Jaws because I grew up watching, we all grew up watching that movie and that I think instilled a fear of sharks in me as a child. Well, it's funny because I just, I just, saw a preview. I think it's called, let me look it up, under Paris. Yeah. Have you seen that on Netflix, the preview for it? It'll probably be out by the time this airs, but it's about sharks in Paris. What? Question mark. Yeah, I swear to God. Like in the river? That goes to the

Yeah. Yes. So case in point, there's another one. There's just so, so many films about shark attacks. You didn't mention shark NATO though. I didn't know I did not. Well, I only mentioned Jaws like because if I was to list if I was to list all of the shark movies there are out there. There are some that I'm like, what the hell is? Like what shark NATO or sharks in Paris or whatever that movie is, which I'm sure I'll watch because I'm just intrigued. Same. But yeah, I mean, I think that out of all the movies there are out there of from whatever else, any other animal, there's always like a flip side to that. Like, yes, there's Kujo, but people also love dogs. And, you know, like, yes, there's movies that are based on, like, lions, but people, like, still

aren't, like, I mean, maybe because we don't live amongst lions, but people aren't as, like, deathly afraid and, like, excuse my language, but, like, fuck lions team. Like, but so many people, people are anti-shark and they're just in that camp because of the fear. I think part of that fear is also because the ocean is so unknown and people have a fear of the ocean and then you add this shark that people have deemed a man-eater and people are not great swimmers and you add all these things together and then you watch jaws and you're like everyone. Well you're out of your element, right? Like you're not on land, you can't breathe, you're being, you know, it's just- There's no surviving. I mean, there is.

surviving, but there's no, like, getting away from it if you... If you weren't, you have no... Like, if a shark wants you... I don't know, though, because if any animal honestly wants you, like, they're going to take you. Yeah, I mean, we're at the bottom of the food chain if we weren't as intelligent as we are. We got nothing. We have no claws. We don't have fangs.

We don't have anything to protect us from cold weather. Right. Yeah. So, yeah. So we're doing a shark episode, obviously. And when I was writing this episode, like, I just kind of made a note at the top that, that, and maybe it's just me being extra sensitive, but I'm just warning you now that, like, I think this episode is, like, pretty divisive. It reminds me a lot of the wolf episodes that I've done,

which never fail to stir up, like, one side or the other or some sort of heated debate. So I just wanted to, you know, say that up front. And I'm aware of that. And also that we're all allowed to have our thoughts and feelings and opinions and just be considerate and respectful when expressing them, if you do. Yeah. I mean. I mean, I'm up for conversation on whatever side it is. All right. But before we get to the story, which it's going to be very exciting, but we have an even more exciting announcement.

I'm so happy to tell people. We're relieved. This moment has been coming for so long. We've heard your pleas, your cries, your desires, and your wants and needs. And they haven't gone on notice. We've been really hard at work in the background, doing a lot of work. into something for you all. And Cassie, what is it? We have finally, after almost over a year of not having it, we are finally relaunching our merch and we're so excited to bring this. We have, we're bringing back

some of our classic designs that you guys have loved and some more stuff thrown in there. And we're just so excited to bring this just in the time for summer, like when you're all getting outside. We already have it. We're really stoked on the quality and how everything came out. And it's just like, I feel like it's a perfect time for it to come out because everyone's getting outside. We're all going to national parks again. We're all camping again. It's time. Yeah.

And it's definitely been, as everyone knows, a journey. But we wanted to make sure it was right. And so we've gone through a couple of versions and rounds and just tweaking things and making sure that it's something that everyone will enjoy and will last. So we have, like Cassie said, we have a lot of our classic designs. But we have different colors. we have an addition of a couple new things like some patches, which is really cool, which is what I've been advocating for. Forever. Forever. Day one. Daniel's like, please one. Let's just do a patch. And finally,

three years later, it's here. It's here. We have a patch. I know. We have hoodies. We have the sweatpants that were half. They're like lightweight. They're super comfy. They're perfect for some. They're my favorite of the entire. Everything we're selling the sweatpants are easily my favorite. Really? Okay. So mine is between, which I'm actually kind of surprised. So the desert skeleton hiker sweatshirt, like the color is my favorite. And we have it on, it's like this puff print. So it's kind of like three-d. Not three-d. But it's raised. And it's like a really cool feel to it. And I love the color of the hoodie and obviously the design. But the second one surprised me. It's the hat. I love the hat. Okay. When I first got it, I was like, I don't, I'm like,

do I need to tweak this? And I wore it out like on a lot of my walks with the boy. and I'm like, okay, I'm actually like loving this. It bends perfectly. Yeah. It's soft. It's like the perfect baseball cap outing for your hikes. I loved it too. I love it too.

Yeah. So anyway, we have that launching. Everyone's like, okay, well, great, but when can we get it? So it's going to be launching a week from today. So it's going to be coming out on June 24th at 10 a.m. Eastern time. And what's, so we'll remind you on Thursday in a couple of couple days and also we'll remind you on the day it actually launches. And if you're following our social medias and things, you can get some sneak peeks in the upcoming days about, you know, actually

seeing it on us and seeing it on the website and things like that. But it's coming. It's coming. And we'll put a link to the show notes so you can go right over to the website. If you're listening when this goes live, it's not on there yet. But the website exists and you can still click the link And, yeah, June 24th, 10 a.m. Eastern time and 7 a.m. Pacific Standard time. The website will go live and you can finally buy merch. Yep. And obviously if things sell out or if, you know, there's a high demand for certain things, we can obviously tweak that. And we're going to, we have more launches planned in the future as well. So just don't panic if your favorite thing is like maybe sold out. But there's a high demand. So I'm just saying. And also for everyone who's listening, who's been super stoked on merch and has been waiting for a really long time, we really appreciate you. And we just appreciate your support for the podcast and for the brand and everyone who's just listening. And we appreciate that too. But we're really excited to bring this out. And we really appreciate everyone's patience and being just as excited about this as we are. It's been a journey and it's been really fun. And it's something that we're excited to finally bring. Yeah. So that being said, now let's get into the story because I'm really excited about this one. Yes, please, tell me. Okay. It was a perfect day to be out on the water. September can be a tricky month to predict in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, with summer's grip loosening and autumn creeping in. It's a month of transition.

Friday, September 14th, however, had all the hallmarks of summer. The lifeguards may have dragged away their chairs and hung up their red swimsuits for the summer, but the water was still warm, by Cape Cod standards, I should say. The Cape Cate gets really warm. sometimes. Your definition of really warm and a Floridians. No, I have been in the Cape, like off of Martha's Vineyard in July, and it has been bathwater. Like, it's warm to touch. Yeah. Well, this, it wasn't like wetsuit weather yet, but it definitely wasn't like bathwater. But it was still, it was still tolerable enough to enjoy. Cars were still lined bumper to bumper down Route 6A. And as people who are from the area know Cape traffic can be brutal, to say the least, with only a couple main

roads connecting the hooked arm of Massachusetts to the rest of its body. But this route, also known as Old Kings Highway, is beautiful. It comprises the largest contiguous historic district in the entire country. Achieving national scenic byway status in 2021, it winds about 62 miles through some of the oldest villages in America and showcases homes from the 1700s, ice cream stand, antique shops, and shacks with some of the best lobster rolls you'll ever have. Hours earlier, 16-year-old Isaac Rocha had excitedly left school at Everett High after his friend Arthur Medici had invited him for a weekend of surfing on the Cape. Arthur, who was 10 years Isaac's senior, was more like family than a friend.

The pair had met at church in Revere, and Arthur was an active member in this church, and Isaac's father served as that church's pastor. Arthur's wide smile and welcoming demeanor was infectious. He made friends very easily. In fact, the first time he even met Isaac, he invited him out onto the water. And despite never touching a bodyboard before, Isaac agreed. After their first trip out together, their bond was formed. Arthur became somewhat of a mentor to Isaac, first teaching him lessons on the water, and then on life in general. Arthur had grown up in Brazil about 300 miles northeast of Rio de Janeiro. And if you were to look up where he grew up in like on TripAdvisor, which the area is called Villa Velha. And if you were to look it up on TripAdvisor, which I did, seven of the top 10 attractions involve water in some way.

Whether it's beaches, lighthouses, hikes that overlook beaches, the waters there are stunning and they attract beachgoers of all kinds. And that is where Arthur obviously was born and grew up and where he fell in love with water sports of all kinds. And he obviously became very skilled in water sports. He was an athlete since childhood and an avid surfer and loved aquatic sports of all kinds. He transferred four years prior from a local college to Bunker Hill Community College to pursue an engineering degree and worked as a delivery driver at a local restaurant to earn some extra cash. His hard work paid off and he had just been able to move out of his aunt's home in Revere to a place of his own. Arthur's mother had spent all of that July visiting with him and left to go back to Brazil with future plans of considering a move to the United States to be closer to her son. He had also hit another big milestone.

After Arthur's friendship with Isaac had solidified, he was introduced to all of the rochas, including Isaac's older sister, Emily. and he and Emily had fallen for each other and were officially planning to get married. It's no wonder why Arthur was beaming, floating next to Isaac as they sat atop their boards as the waves of Newcomb Hollow rolled underneath them. The sun was setting, but they were squeezing out every last drop of daylight that they could until night began to fall, forcing them out of the water. So let's get a little bit familiar with the area, because obviously you and I are quite familiar with Cape Cod National Seashore, but for all everybody else,

who is not. This national seashore stretches about 40 miles along the coastline covering nearly 44,000 acres along the Atlantic-facing eastern shore of Cape Cod. In the towns of Provincet, Truro, Wellfleet, Eastum, Orleans, and Chatham. President John F. Kennedy protected the seashore in 1961 as a summer resident of the Cape himself. It's understandable why he was eager to preserve the natural and historical significance of the area. There are six separate beaches that make up the National Seashore. Together, they house pieces of history from New England's past, including thousands of shipwrecks, World War II test sites, lighthouses, and more. Visitors to the National Seashore have plenty to choose from, from swimming the waters,

exploring the dunes, and salt marshes, visiting historic buildings, hiking the nature trails, sunbathing, and more. Over 450 species of animals live here throughout the upland, wetland, and coastal, ecosystems of the seashore with 25 federally protected species living within park boundaries. Most notably, the piping plover, which I think we've talked about before. Yeah, because they do that fun little dance thing, the piping plovers. I think I remember talking about it because I think my family has like statues of piping plovers. Oh, yes.

We did talk about this before. Yeah. And they're always like, if you go to the beaches, you'll see a lot of a lot of the signage is about protecting areas because the piping clovers are nesting, and they're really easily scared away, and yeah, just to protect their nesting sites. But anyway, depending where you look, everything from horseshoe crabs, goals, beach plums, seals, sharks, and muscles abound. Released in 2023, a National Park Service report revealed four million visitors contributed over $750 million to the local economy. So it's a very popular place to be. I'll be one of those

people this summer we're doing a family trip down there. Yes, you are. I'm excited. Just in time. I'm glad I'm doing this now. I know. Oh, God. You're like, oh, shit. And this, so far, it's making me excited. Just you describing the park. I'm like, yes. I haven't been there in years, so it's a fun little refresher. Yeah, well, we'll see. Yeah, we'll see. Hopefully you're still just as excited, just a little more aware. That's all. It's clear that no matter why people come here, to lean into New England history, recreate on trails, or relax on the beaches, the Cape is a very special place, and Isaac and Arthur agreed. So, after a night at a local motel and well fleet, the pair once again eagerly made their way

back to Newcomb Hollow. After hastily setting up their umbrellas in the sand, they practically skipped into the surf. Conditions were ideal again on this day, and they had the full day at their disposal. Arthur rode the four-foot waves like the skilled surfer he was, pausing. from time to time to give Isaac pointers, who was getting a bit frustrated with the number of waves that he was missing. Arthur instructed and also showed Isaac best practices,

and after catching a particularly good wave, Arthur paddled back to his friend, glanced over at him, and said, this is the life I want to live. This is the life I love. This is what I want to do forever. After several hours, Isaac finally did it. He hit the perfect wave and was just swelling with pride.

He rode the wave all the way, the way to the shoreline and turned back to join up with Arthur, who sat on his board about 30 yards offshore. And Isaac was ready to paddle back to him and be like, did you see that? Like, you know, just like really beaming with pride of all the, you know, he finally did it. Just like one of those moments. Yeah, exactly. So he dove under an incoming wave on his way back to get to Arthur and popped out on the other side to the most horrific sound he had ever heard. It was Arthur and he was screaming. Frantic, Isaac scanned the water following the blood-curdling sounds until his eyes landed on the awful scene. The water around him had termed a deep crimson red, frothing with a flurry of

activity. And then there it was, the unmistakable shape of a dorsal fin. Immediately, Isaac was paddling as fast as he could towards the scene, shouting to Arthur repeatedly, come to me, come to me, you'll be fine, you'll be fine. Within a few strokes, Isaac had made a to Arthur, who was motionless, face down in the water. Isaac immediately sprung into action. He was actually the commander of his school's junior ROTC, the Reserve Officer's Training Corps, and his rescue training clicked into high gear. He swam behind Arthur, looped both his hands around his armpits after turning him face

up and started towing him towards the shore. All the while, several onlookers watched in helpless horror as the entire incident unfolded. Several other surfers witnessed an explosion of water in the size of a shark thrashing in the water around Arthur. And while the beach wasn't particularly packed, there was still a handful of residents and beachgoers lounging and having their own Saturday at the beach. One of those people was Mitzie Riley, a local who didn't know the boys personally but had been intermittently cheering them on as they caught waves that day. Her attention was immediately caught by the sound of someone yelling, shark, shark, get people out of the water. The voice was Isaac's as he struggled to drag his friend onto the sand.

Mitzi jumped into action and ran to their sides, helping Isaac pull Arthur out of harm's way. Once on the sand, Isaac got to his feet and began tending to his friend. Noting the injuries to his right leg, he unstrapped the boogie board still attached to Arthur's arm and wrapped the strap in a tourniquet. You're okay, dude, wake up, you're okay. He breathlessly reassured Arthur as he worked. only to slow down as the realization hit him and Mitzie seemingly at once. The sand was eerily devoid of blood.

Arthur had lost almost all of it in the water. Dropping to his knees, all Isaac could do was cry. Strangers banded together in community to call 911 and to do their best to stabilize Arthur while the paramedics were on their way. Once they arrived, life-saving efforts were attempted as he was loaded into the ambulance. Isaac jumped into the front seat as they rushed the 34 miles from Wellfleet to Cape Cod Hospital and Hyannis. During the ride, he notified family to meet at the hospital, but was too in shock to really go into detail of why. As soon as the ambulance pulled into the hospital, Arthur was taken into surgery immediately.

But within 20 minutes, doctors confirmed what Isaac had feared all along that Arthur was gone. Isaac's mother and sister, who remembers Arthur's fiancé, arrived at the hospital hours later, still not exactly aware of exactly what had happened. But when they saw Isaac, they knew something was gravely wrong, but it wasn't until the doctor confirmed the news when their worlds really split apart. The Medici and Rocha families were, without a doubt, the most significantly impacted by Arthur's death. But their family tragedy also marked a change in the Cape Cod community as a whole and marked the beginning of a rift that is still palpable today. This episode is brought to you by Prime. Obsession is in session. And this summer, Prime Originals have everything you want.

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It turns out Arthur's death was the straw that broke the camel's back because strife over sharks had already been brewing. Arthur's death was the first fatal shark encounter in Massachusetts waters since 1936. But there had been other brushes with the predator that had raised concerns in recent years. About a month prior to Arthur's death on August 15th, 61-year-old William Lytton was swimming off the waters of Truro Mass only about 10 minutes to the north of Wellfleet in about 8 feet of water when he felt an incredible pain shoot through his left leg.

With little time to think, he smashed his arm into the shark's gills. After a brief struggle, he was released and he was brought to safety, med-flighted to Tufts Medical Center in Boston where he was treated. And although the actual interaction was lightning fast, like so brief, his injuries were severe and extensive. He was placed in a two-day coma, underwent six surgeries, and had nearly 12 pints of blood pumped into him in transfusions. Wow. In just a second. In a second. Yep. The large bite missed major nerves, veins, and arteries, and his bone damage wasn't major. Shark teeth fragments were cleaned out of his wounds, but after hundreds of sutures, weeks of recovery, and months of rehab, he did make a full recovery.

Prior to that, in 2017, a shark bit into a paddleboard off the coast of Wellfleet, and in 2014, off the coast of Plymouth, two kayakers were knocked into the water after a great white bit into one of their boats. Wow, that's so scary. I know. Both women were unharmed physically from that interaction, but obviously they're both probably very distraught. In 2012, 50-year-old Chris Myers was body surfing with his son 400 yards out into the sea in Truro when he was bitten by a shark. He was able to swim to shore and later made a full recovery. Back in 1996, 10 miles south of the previous incident, a 46-year-old man was bitten while collecting starfish, and I have to note the species of shark was unable to be confirmed in that one.

In 1965, an 18-year-old named Ronald Powell was diving for lobster off rock port. in 50 feet of water when he felt a bump on his leg. He was taken to the hospital where he was treated for a six inch cut and a bite mark on his left thigh. And again, the species of shark was unable to be confirmed, but I think we can kind of surmise it's probably not a white shark with a bump. It's like, oh, something bumped into me and I have a six inch bite. Like, I mean, obviously there are other species of shark and maybe it was a juvenile. Who knows? Yeah. If you're describing it as a bump, then it's probably not a great white shark, unless, like you said, a juvenile. Right, yeah. And like I said, obviously, we don't know for sure, but there is debate as to whether it was a shark at all or something else entirely, like another species of fish. Oh, because he didn't see like. He didn't see there was no, at the time, I mean, this was back in, you know, the 60s. I don't know if they collected any, who knows. Yeah. And lastly, I'm only going back to 1936 for brevity's sake. 16 year old Joseph Troy was swimming in 10 feet of water on Hollywood Beach, just.

south of the cape when he was bitten by a shark. And the only description given was there was a black dorsal fin, but who knows again. And he died of blood loss after being transferred to the hospital. So since 1936, there have been obviously other incidents that I just described, but no deaths associated until Arthur's in 2018. So in short, as of this recording, which is early June of 24. Over the last 88 years, there have been two fatalities and four attacks, including the one that can't be determined for sure on record in the state of Massachusetts. Statistically, that's quite small, but for the residents and many visitors, those numbers don't matter. What matters is what they're seeing, and what they're seeing are more sharks and more seals. And therein lies the true

heart of this issue. For the last decade, several different organizations have been studying the sharks off the coast of the Cape. In particular, the Atlantic White Sharks off of the coast of Cape Cod, including the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy, Center for Coastal Studies, the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries, and of course, the National Park Service. Based on a population study released in early 2023, about 800 white sharks swam through Cape Cod over a four-year period, though not at the same time. The most individual sharks researchers observed during a study period on any given day was 31. So that's not like there's 800 sharks all the time swimming around here.

And the Cape is kind of large too. I mean, it's a very long coast. So if there's 31 sharks. In a day. In a day. There's a really far area between. And it's also important to note that they are dispersed along the shoreline, meaning different individuals come and go throughout the season and are not.

there all at the same time, all at once. Current estimates suggest that the cape is among the larger shark hotspots worldwide. Researchers are hard at work gathering as much data as possible from the animals by tagging them and studying their behavior. From what they have learned so far, individuals stay anywhere from a few hours to a few weeks, but they're all here for the same thing. The cape, both the inner bay and the outer cape, is part of the shark's historical migration corridor. They have been swimming these waters for millions of years. So why is there a sudden uproar about sharks on the Cape? If they've always been here, why in recent years is it all of a sudden a huge concern?

And the answer is they've always been here when the seals are here. And for a time, the seals were completely absent because of us. In Massachusetts and Maine, bounties for seals were paid out by the state. Destruction of seals, mainly the gray seal, and the harbor seal, were funded between 1888 and 1962, during which an estimated 72,000 to 135,000 seals were slaughtered. Oh, that's awful. Yep. People would be paid for turning in seal noses and flippers, a practice that absolutely decimated and almost killed off the entire population.

The reason for the bounty was driven partially for furs and pelt, but the main motivation was the perceived competition that they provided to fishermen. The seals were saved when the Marine Mammal Protection Act was enacted in October of 1972. The nationwide policy, in short, prohibits, with some exceptions, the take of marine mammals, including harassment, hunting, capturing, collecting, or killing in U.S. waters, and by U.S. citizens on the high seas. And this act help the seals recolonize the waters of New England. But depending on who you ask, their comeback isn't a very welcome one. Well, if you ask me, I enjoy seeing them when I go down to the Cape.

Me too. They're so cute. They are cute, but a lot of people who live and work on the Cape and have jobs that are how they think are directly impacted by the presence of seals. and this is where it gets divisive. Okay. You know, okay. I've never had a divisive thought about seals, but I don't work on, I don't work on the caper in the fishing industry or anything. Right.

Yeah. But, okay, I don't want to say too much too soon. So, okay, we'll get into it. Okay. To say that commercial fishing in New England is huge would be a gross understatement. Many of those fishermen are second, third, or even fourth generation and are quick to point out that the waters have changed. and aren't the same as the ones that their parents or their grandparents made a living on. They are seeing changes in the quantity of fish, but also in the species of fish that are available and swimming around.

Fish such as cod are now much scarcer while other species have taken over. Fishermen, both commercial and leisure, have been pulling out fish usually found way down south out of their nets and off of their lines off the coast of Massachusetts, thanks largely to the warming waters. And in the documentary after the bite, a local fisherman says point blank, we blame the seals. End of story. And he continues on saying,

don't get me wrong, I love seeing whales and seals, but the ecosystem is out of balance and when it's too much, it's too much. And then on the other hand, the seals and sharks have been a big hit for tourism, selling out wildlife cruises and drawing in visitors and they're plastered,

I mean, on every, T-shirt and mug and keychain and, I mean, just take a stroll down the cape. You'll see seals and sharks on on everything. And the cape screens viewings and showings of Jaws all summer long. That's fun. You can go to the Jaws Bridge. I mean, I was just there on Nitea's Bachelorette's party. We went to Jaws Bridge where they filmed Jaws near Martha's Vineyard. Oh, fun. And like, you know, it's just, it's a big thing, you know, like. Fun fact, my aunt was in Jaws. I think you told me this. Yeah, so another, like if you're local there, but when they filmed it, they paid people who lived there to be in some of

the scenes. And they paid her at she's the very opening scene. You can see her. She's sitting around a fire and she's smoking a cigarette. And they paid everyone. They were all locals that live there just to let them film them sit around a fire at the beginning of the movie of Jaws. That's such a fun like two truths and a lie. Yeah. I was in Jaws. And everyone knows that movie. That's so fun. And I don't want to say that like every local or every fisherman is against seals and sharks because obviously that's, we all know, like there are hundreds of shades of gray in arguments about wildlife and ecosystem balance and things like that.

I mean, there was another local fisherman that was interviewed on that documentary. And they said, the seal is the scapegoat, cod, haddock, we fished the shit out of those fish. and now we're stuck with underutilized species. So, I mean, some of the local fishermen are like, well, everything's changed because the seals are making a comeback and they're eating everything. And then some people are like, okay, well, we also have climate change that we're dealing with and different temperatures of water and different fish species migrating in, maybe pushing some out. And we've also, for hundreds of years, exploited the waters like crazy. So there's a lot. Maybe it could be more than the seals.

Right. Quick, quick thought. Maybe it's us. No. No. Anything but that. So it's clear that people have a lot of things to say about seals, whether pro or anti. But in the 70s and 80s, someone visiting Cape Cod would be lucky to see a seal.

And now it's the norm. I mean, they're everywhere. Yeah. If you go to a fishing dock. They love to crowd around there because they know that some of like the chum and fish and stuff falls off the boat. They throw stuff out like whatever it is. And they just congregate around there and you can watch them. And they follow the fishing boats too, like waiting for their scraps.

A lot of fishermen hate that because because of the Marine Mammal Protection Act, they can't do anything. You can't even yell at them. You can't be like, hey, get out of here. You can't clap your hands at them. You can't haze them. You can't do anything because they're protected. Yeah. So a lot of fishermen are pissed about that because the seals are following them around and getting into their nets and on their lines and they're smart.

And of course, the seals drawn sharks. So where there's a congregation of seals, especially if it's around people, you have another issue. And that's why this is so complicated because there's so many moving parts to this. I mean, I can definitely see how having seals following your fishing boat would be very frustrating for the people who are working and trying to do their jobs. So I can see that, but I also, like, believe that they live there and they belong there. So, like, I can see why people would be frustrated, but I don't think that that means that they shouldn't be there. I know. But it's, like, where's that line and that balance and where do we, like, how can we come to some sort of middle ground? And that's where this issue lies. Like, that's why this is such a big deal. Yeah. And whenever you talk about people's livelihoods and that being interferes. There's always a point of contention there. 100%.

But obviously, like, what we did before was no, Bueno. Like, you can't just annihilate an entire species. Like, that's crazy. No, of course. And hopefully we've learned from that. And clearly there was an act put in for reason. So people thought that too. Yeah.

So like I said, in the 70s and 80s, I mean, our parents who grew up in the Cape, like, they would be lucky to see a seal. And even, I mean, sharks, like, forget about it. Especially in this documentary, again, it's called After the Bite. It's on HBO or Max or whatever it's called now. But, yeah, there's tons of people and locals there or people who had visited, you know, every summer. It's like, we never thought twice about getting in the water. Like, what do you mean?

What are you talking about sharks, you know? And now it's just changed within a generation or two. And it's like now, it's just such a rapid change that it's alarming. And because usually these things happen over time and it kind of. gives us a little bit of time to like adjust to changing norms. And this has just been such a quick turnaround, which is, I mean, from a conservation standpoint, a success. You know what I mean? Of course. Because they were here before and they're supposed to be here and they're important for the environment and the ecosystem. But for a beach goer, it's unsettling if you're,

if you're watching Jaws or if you, I mean, when you first said the numbers at the beginning, when you said that there were only two fatalities and four attacks, I was honestly shocked by that because I feel like every summer I hear something in the news about a shark attack. Or shark sighting or people. Or shark sightings are huge and they even have, they have the sharkivity app that you can download and when you download it and you're sitting on the beach, it can be a little scary because you'll be sitting there on the beach and you'll get all these pings and notifications that there's sharks right around where you are. And because how you mentioned at the beginning of this episode where people tend to have an inherent fear of sharks because of what we've seen in the media and what we've heard.

And just because if a shark does attack, it's so scary when you see it, you're just like, oh my God, I'm so close to one right now. You're on land and you're scared. Yeah, exactly. It doesn't even make sense. It's a frightening thing. Yeah, it's a frightening thing. But speaking about like the rebound of seals just kind of so quickly, 20 miles south of Cape Cod,

there's a little island. It's called Muskegee Island. It's this low sandy island covering in. area of about 244 acres. And in the 1960s, on this island, there wasn't a single seal. And now, today, the island serves as the largest gray seal breeding colony in the entire world. Wow. That's so cool. So it really is a true testament to the success of the Marine Mammal Protection Act. Stephanie Wood, a biologist with the National Marine Fisheries Services, says that the ecosystem is still finding a renewed balance, despite this huge, you know, success on paper.

She says that the seal population has tripled over the last dozen years, but it will eventually level off as all species do. I mean, there's a carrying capacity of every environment, like, it's going to level off at some point because there's a lot of people who are like, they're out of control and they're just going to keep spreading like wildfire. But of course, we know that nature has certain mechanisms in place that control species population. And she said, there's only so much food and space. But I don't think we have any specific idea of when SEALs in Massachusetts are going to reach carrying capacity. So there's more coming.

There's more coming potentially. It's still like, it's so new. You know, it's just such an, it's an ongoing and active observation and study of this population rebound. Which is interesting to see, especially for people who are not in our lifetime, like our parents' generation. I say our lifetime. but like people who are older than us and have lived through like part of the decimation of it and have seen no seals there and then are now seeing it how it is today. I mean, it must be really interesting from that standpoint to see the changes over the years.

Yeah, of course. So until that time comes when we figure out, you know, when their population is going to level off and carrying capacity is met, their protection under the MMPA stands. And that ruffles a lot of feathers, not just from fishermen. or property owners who are annoyed when seals are sunbathing on their beaches, big air quotes, on their beach. But from some residents who now fear going in the water because of the sharks that the seals attract. Just as with the seals not too long ago, you'd have to have quite the stroke of luck to spot a shark off of the cape. Gregory Skollmull, a state shark biologist with over 40 years of experience, says,

if you asked me in 2005, why don't we know more about the Great White Shark, I would have looked at you and said, because I can't find it. Like there was just no, I mean, Great White sharks have been such an understudied. We're learning so much more about them now that we can locate them because before they were such a difficult species to understand because we had no information, we couldn't find them. And now we have access to them right off of the coast. Right. And the increase in seals, and resulting return of the shark is an opportunity that biologists are thrilled about, to be honest. I mean, not only are seals a wonderful ecosystem health indicator species, they also give

scientists the opportunity to learn more about the white sharks more than ever before. And I touched briefly on the research efforts going on in this area, but it is so critical and has so many larger benefits. For most of history, the Atlantic white shark population was one of the most mysterious shark populations on the face of the planet. But by gaining a firmer understanding on shark behavior and their predator prey relationship with these seals, the better equipped scientists are to then advise beach managers and the general public as to how to modify their behavior in hopes of decreasing the risk of people having a bad interaction with a white shark.

As with any science, our understanding shifts and evolves and sometimes changes with the more knowledge that we gain, and we respond accordingly. Journalist Alec Wilkinson, who is one of the main talking heads on the documentary, he made some really good points throughout the film, but one of the ones I really thought was poignant was he said, human beings since the industrial revolution have grown up amidst extraordinary technological changes, but not among extraordinary natural changes. And that's what is happening to our generation. And he goes on to talk about this idea of shifting baselines, which in summary means that just because you grew up in a certain set of conditions doesn't mean they're necessarily normal, even if they're normal to you. Right. And obviously in this

context, he's saying, yeah, just because you grew up in the Cape in the 60s and 70s and 80s and 80s and rarely, if ever, saw a shark or a seal, it doesn't mean that that's normal. Because in reality, in the wider lens and view of history, it's quite abnormal, actually. But again, that doesn't quite matter to those passionate about public safety. Less than two weeks after Arthur Medici's death, the community of Wellfleet gathered for the start of what would evolve into many public meetings and hearings dedicated to the shark situation. The meeting hosted in a local school's gymnasium to accommodate the sheer number of people

in attendance was held to take initial public conference. Among the various public leaders, members of the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy were also in attendance to speak about shark sightings, behavior, to give tips on how to improve beach safety, and to answer any questions that the public had. And their presence garnered very mixed reactions, but the rawness of the tragedy that the community had suffered was clear. I mean, this was less than two weeks after Arthur was killed. So, like, emotions are running very high. And comments such as a man lost his life because we have been doing nothing and the goal of public office, the number one priority should be public safety, not shark safety, not shark conservation, public safety. And those comments were met with hefty rounds of applause from the rest of the room. Yeah.

I mean, it's hard to argue conservation and sharks when a person like your son, your fiance, whoever it is, just lost their life. it's hard to be like, well, the ecosystems are making a rebound. Yeah, they're making a rebound. And it's like, I don't care. You know, like, it's just so hard to see, I can see why people would be so gung-ho about this person who lost their life versus the shark in this moment. But 100%. And that's why it makes, I mean, I love these stories so much like these animal encounter episodes because it just stirs up like the larger debate and questions and really makes you analyze like all of the moving people. and how different people are affected and obviously wanting to respect and honor that while also

advocating for the betterment of the ecosystem and different species. It's just so it's such a complicated matter. And it always is. It doesn't matter if you're talking about sharks or grizzlies or wolves or whatever. Like any big predator is going to garner this type of mixed reaction. And I think it's just so intriguing because every side has a valid point. Yeah. And it's just like how do we get to a space where it's like kind of a give and take for everyone. Do you know what I mean? Yeah.

So in the aftermath of Arthur's death, a committee to amend the Marine Mammal Protection Act was formed and has actually gained some traction. They are advocating for, quote, people to be a part of the equation and, quote, taken into consideration when it comes to the seal and shark populations. They argue that special interest groups are acting as if the. the Marine Protection Act is set in stone and cannot and will not be changed, and that the state seals have clearly rebounded to the point where they can be afforded less protection. And there is a quick comment made in the documentary when members of this particular group were adamant about being careful not to ever say the word,

cull, when it comes to the seals, as they know it would draw a really negative reaction. But that's essentially what they're advocating for. They just don't want to say the word. for it. They don't want to phrase it that way because they're like, we don't want to say that we're going to slaughter all of them. Like, but we're going to slaughter all of them. But they need to go. Yeah. Or at some sort of population reduction effort or whatever, whatever way is palpable for the public to digest. It means the same thing. They want to reduce the population. Which means killing the population of seals, which if you have ever looked at a seal and looked them in the eyes,

you cannot kill a seal. They're so cute. Well, I will say I won't do it too. I won't post it for everyone to see. But when I was looking up the seal coals in Massachusetts, Maine, and there was some in New Hampshire, but we know, like the coastline in New Hampshire is so small. It was mainly Maine in Massachusetts. I mean, the photos of if you've ever seen seals being killed, it's awful. I mean, people go right up to them with clubs and guns and like, you know, smash their heads in and drag them across the ice. And it's awful. It's so awful. That's horrific. Anyways. So they also go on to call the various Atlantic White Shark Conservancy Education Booths set up at beaches propaganda. So it's like, okay, you had a point and then you just lost it. Yeah. No. Educating people on sharks is propaganda. Don't think so. That's actually part of safety. Is educating people. That's part of public safety is educating people on your surroundings. Correct. And like what you're you're seeing. And, you know, because there was some brief clips of the different booths. You know, they're just like a tent with a couple people and like a table with different shark teeth and pictures and things like that and just educating people as they enter the beach what white sharks are

and, you know, just like, how are you supposed to keep yourself safe? You don't even know what's going on. You're not even going to tell people sharks are there, but you're going to try and expect them to stay safe. Yeah. It just the, it just went a little too far. It's like, okay, I understand wanting to be part of the equation and taken into consideration and things like that. But like, yeah, that just like went a little too far for me. shark information as propaganda. Right. This group also advocates for the right for people to be able to recreate on the beaches and in waters of Cape Cod as they would have done for the past 100 years without the fear of being killed

and accused the current laws and management plans that are in place as quote unquote, poorly written in the Marine Mammal Protection Act. So it's like, again, too far. It's like, in my humble opinion, and this is just my opinion, but you can't guarantee, Who are you to be like, I demand that I can be safe when I want to go to the beach for three days of my year. So I don't want any sharks to be alive in this area. It's like since when, like, do you think anyone walks into the woods and demands their safety? Yeah. What are you talking about? You can't demand your safety in the outdoors. Like, go to a swimming pool. Well, that's the thing.

It's like, so just because you want to have a safe, like you, for example, you're going to the, Cape on a family vacation very soon. I demand that I'm safe. It's like I don't go here often. It's actually like 0.05% of my life. But I demand that there are, we kill all the seals and sharks so I can enjoy a few hours here. I would more demand information.

Like I want, if I'm going on a beach in the Cape, I like seeing those giant beware of shark signs with an information board that says like what to keep an eye out. Like make sure if you see, if no one told me. that sharks are attracted to seals, I would be so excited to be in the water with a seal. Right. But now it's like, that's a red flag. Okay, get out of the water. You know, it's just, yeah, it's, it's, I would rather have the information and know, same thing when I'm hiking in bear country. I want to know, are there grislies here? Are there black bears here? What do I need to be prepared for? Mm-hmm. Exactly.

Former county commissioner Ron Beattie is in full support of the changes to the Marine Mammal Protection Act, claiming, quote, there, in reference to the shark conservation groups, their interest is to continue doing shark research to continue to get grant funding for their industry. That's how they make their living and the public be damned. Public safety has been a secondary issue to them by far. They're more interested in protecting the sharks than they are in protecting human lives. He has also openly advocated for the coal of white sharks, according to the Cape Cod Times, he said, quote, requesting the formation of a task force to fully and completely address the Cape Cod shark problem, end quote.

In 2017, he called for the use of drum lines, which are baited hooks attached to large buoys to catch and kill sharks before or as they're approaching beaches. And at first, his proposal was not supported, but it has gained traction as the number of sharks increase and so too does public fear, especially after Arthur was killed in 2018. While fleet surfer John Kartzunis commented to the Cape Cod Times, quote, We never had to deal with this before. I think first and foremost, the job of our elected officials is to promote the health and safety of the public, and I think we've lost track of that. We need to allow recreational and commercial fishermen to do what needs to be done.

Another surfer named Chris, named Charles Frodeck, added, I think the population is too much. much now. The last eight years, it has become more of a nightmare that has culminated in the death of a precious human being. And then he goes on to say that Cape Cod has become a modern-day Jurassic Park. It's time to think about which is more important. Are people more important than sharks and the seals? In my mind, I would have every seal killed to not have another September 15th. That's a little extreme. I mean, and like modern day Jurassic Park, let me just say, I watched Jurassic Park two days ago. Of course you did. Because of course I did. And it's like, that's a little,

let's all rewatch Jurassic Park and then make that statement. That's crazy. And the numbers you said earlier, I just keep going back to those is not, I mean, a death is a death and it's horrible and it's tragic and you don't want that. But it's not like they're making it sound like sharks are coming in and eating everyone who goes in the water. I know. I know. And that's the thing. But again, And it's like, it's so, especially to the surfing community, which Arthur was a part of, like, it's, it's a huge blow. And it's, yeah, I don't know. And when you recreate in the water and now you, and it's something you've never had to think about before, and now you do. Now you do.

And being a surfer, I'm sure that's very scary. Like, I can, I can understand why people are afraid, especially if you're in, like, for me, if I go in the water, the chances that I'm going to encounter a shark, I'm not in the water very often. surfer who's going there every free time they get, it's going to be a lot more likely to encounter a shark than me. So I can understand the fear that's there, but to say I'm ready to decimate all of the sharks and seals is a little, that's a little extreme. Yeah, I agree. And while some are advocating for a change in the Marine Mammal Protection Act, believing that the seals have reached a recovery level that warrants them less protections. On the flip side, scientists argue that while the seal population is recovering very well, they have not reached the level that would warrant such a change.

Suggesting that the true issue that people have with the seals is because we are so populated that their population number has come in conflict with our uses of the ocean. Which is just so true. It's so true. You said at the beginning four million people visit last year or was that, I don't know what year that was. It's 2023 last year. So 4 million people, that's a lot. It's a lot of people coming to one area. Yeah.

In addition, according to Boston Magazine, Cynthia Wigran, CEO and co-founder of the nonprofit Atlantic White Shark Conservancy, thinks that Beatty's idea to hunt and kill off a large portion of the seal population is ill-informed. She says, quote, if you coal seals, you take away a shark's natural food source. Sharks will be even more likely to attack humans. We know that both seals and sharks have been cold in other areas without improving the public safety. Instead, she believes that awareness and an understanding of the Great White Shark are the keys to preventing future attacks. Which is like another valid point.

It's like, okay, so you just remove, you just pull the rug out and remove all of their natural food source. And now you still have. And now you still want to be in the water. It's like, where are they going to turn to next? You know, it's just, I don't know, anyway. Yeah. And the fact that there's research of other places who have done things like this and it hasn't changed the public safety is very telling that it's not going to work.

And also, like, I will say I didn't really get super into this in my notes. And of course, we're not, you know, the biologists. But from what I've learned, obviously there are different types of attacks, just as we know with bears. There's defense, you know, defensive when they're protecting cubs. There's predatory attacks. There's territorial attacks. All of the attacks that I listed, including Arthur's, seem non-predatory in nature.

Because if you've ever seen a predatory shark attack, there is no mistaking it. And I'll tell you right now, Isaac wouldn't have been able to drag Arthur onto the beach if that shark had intentions of killing and consuming him. So, I mean, I just think. back to the thing that, like, ruined me for months. I mean, remember when I watched the video of the guy in Egypt getting killed by a shark? Yes, and you sent it to me and I couldn't watch it. It was so disturbing. And that's very clearly a predatory attack. And all the ones so far that have happened on the Cape that I listed, it appears, like, I don't want to say with any certainty because I'm not a shark biologist, but, I mean, their remains were recovered. They had a bite.

And they were able to be, you know, either taken to the hospital or recovered. So what type of attack is it if it's not predatory? So I think, well, I should say, Wes would kill me of tooth and claw, or any of the guys from tooth and claw listening right now. They're like, she's fumbling this so bad. I think that I forget what it's like categorized as. So maybe it's categorized as a predatory attack, but it's like a case of like mistaken identity type of thing.

It's like, I took a bite of you. Like, they're like, ew. Ew. I don't want this. And they move on. It's like I didn't target you specifically to kill and eat you and I'm going to actively consume you. It's like, oh, my bad. But they're so huge and obviously they have so much.

My bad. Frican shark. Like, it's going to cause a lot of damage and it's going to lead to death in a lot of cases. But it's not like a... They're not hunting people. Correct. They're hunting seals and other marine wildlife. And a lot of people in the water, I mean, look like a seal.

to a shark. So don't come after me. But from my understanding, that is the vast majority of shark encounters can be categorized under that type of thing. So, okay, back to my notes. A Cape Cod National Seashore Ranger opened the documentary with the following words. Sharks are here. They are a dangerous animal. Recreation has been established in their absence. That is what is so unique compared to other areas where sharks are present around the world. What no one is arguing is that the Cape is changing. And in response, safety measures are also evolving. As Leslie Reynolds, chief ranger of the Cape Cod National Seashore was quoted saying in the New York Times, these sharks have been around for 400 million years. They are very good at what they do. They outlived the dinosaurs. We're going to be the

ones that have to change our behavior. Since 2012, the National Park Service and the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy have installed signage on most national seashore and town beaches with very large, clear warnings, with variations of the following verbiage. Warning, great white sharks hunt seals and shallow water at this beach. People have been seriously injured and killed by white sharks along this coastline. Be shark smart. Know your risks when entering the water. Along with signage, there are also flags, mainly atop lifeguard stations and boardwalks indicating

shark presence. And there are different levels and colors. There's green, red, black, and white flags that all have, they're not complicated. They're a flag with a color and a shark. It's very clear what they're trying to portray. Yeah. And of course, different colors have different meanings. But it's best to always assume that when you enter the water, especially on the Cape, you are entering shark habitat and they are likely present, despite whatever color flag there is. Because we can only change that color when, somebody cites them, you know, and a lot of times they go undetected. There are also severe bleeding emergency kits available on posts throughout some of the National Seashore beaches, and swimmers are urged to not swim far out into the water. Closures are also now a new norm that a lot of people are

not so happy about. So basically, if a shark is spotted, the new norm is to close entry into the water for at least an hour. And summer national seashore visitors are also likely to see. shark spotter planes and boats making passes throughout the sky and in the water. So a lot of people are like, I just drove in Cape traffic for five hours to get here and you're telling me I can't go in the water. Like people are annoyed. But then again, it's like people want public safety measures and this is part of that. So you can't be pissed no matter what, you know. I would be excited if I was on the beach and there, the I saw spotter planes and then put up the flag. I'd be like, oh my God. There's a shark around here.

There's a shark over there. I feel like it would feel like fun drama. Well, I mean, yeah, it depends on who you ask. I would agree. I would attend to agree. But also, because I don't swim anyway. I never have to worry about getting attacked by a shark because I don't go in the water. Yeah, I don't go like, I don't go over my head and I'm only five, too.

I mean, I don't know. Sharks are still getting up there. Yeah. We'll see what happens to me. Yeah. To be determined. This episode will not age well. If you had a type of a giant,

buy a shark attack and be like, all right, kill them all. Just kidding. We change everything we said. Just kidding, yeah. Lifeguard rules have also shifted, along with ensuring swimmer safety, they are also now tasked with public education, often handing out educational and safety pamphlets to beachgoers. The National Park Service has also issued shark smart tips

that are posted on signage, printed on flyers, and verbalized by National Park Service, rangers, and staff throughout the seashore. And basically, this is what you need to know. Be aware that sharks hunt for seals in shallow water. Stay close to shore where rescuers can reach you in case anything happens. Don't isolate yourself. Swim, paddle, kayak, and surf in groups. Avoid areas where seals are present.

Avoid areas where schools of fish are visible. Avoid murky or low visibility water. limit your splashing, avoid wearing any jewelry in the water, follow all signage and flag warnings at beaches and instructions of the lifeguards. If you are to see a shark, notified the lifeguard immediately, report the sighting to a ranger, or on the Sharkivity app, which you mentioned earlier. And just in case people are not familiar with this app, it is developed by the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy, with input by the National Park Service and Division of Marine Fisheries.

and the goal of the app is to raise awareness and help facilitate the peaceful coexistence between humans and white sharks. The app sightings are fed by researchers, safety officials, and users that upload photos for confirmation. By enabling app users to report shark sightings and upload photos for confirmation, the app is effectively crowdsourcing critical data points on where sharks are spotted, so as to reduce encounters and promote safety. Data from sharks with acoustic tags and smart position and temperature tags are also available on the app. And there are different icons to indicate different things, anything from confirmed sightings, unconfirmed sightings, acoustic transmitter hits, dorsal fin sightings. And I mean, yesterday when I looked, there was no confirmed shark sighting, but there were pictures of seals that were deceased with clear shark bites.

Oh, I saw an article that talked about that they were seeing seals with shark bites. Mm-hmm. Yep. So if you open the app and it's, and it's not just for the Cape, there are other little indicators like down, when I was on the vineyard because we took a boat. I organized this whole bachelor at party and I scheduled like a charter boat for our group to go from Falmouth to Martha's Vineyard. And of course, on the way back, the captain was like, we'll stop at Jaws Bridge area and you can jump off and swim. And I was like, that's going to be a no for me. But I also, I checked the Sharkivity app. before we went that morning. And yeah, lo and behold, like five miles east of Falmouth was a confirmed white shark sighting with a picture. And it's like, I don't want to, and I shared it with the group. I'm like, I don't want to freak anyone out. Like, if you want to swim, you should swim. And like, but like just so you know. And of course, all of these girls grew up or spent significant time in the Northeast, so they know. Yeah. But it's just like, just like an FYI. You know, and one girl who is like very into marine life and things like that had the app as well. And she was like, if we see a

shark today, it'll be the best day of my life. And then the other half of the group is like, no. So it's like, such like in real time. The split. I was seeing it with my own eyes. You can also see shark activity reports in real time or you can filter by the year or month or day. It's kind of like the Waze app for sharks. And it's a really helpful tool. And of course, I feel like I don't have to say this, but I will. It's not all-encompassing. The information can be really helpful, but of course it's not a full picture of what's going on in the water. And public safety officials have stressed that the real-time detection shared by sharkivity

shouldn't be used as the sole means of determining the presence of white sharks in any case. Fair. Megan Winton, a staff scientist for the Conservancy, says, quote, it is important to remember that the receivers can only detect sharks tagged with acoustic transmitters, and there are still a lot of white sharks out there that have not been tagged. So just enough why I. Good to know. According to Dr. Schomel, the sharks arrive in the area around late May and populations peak August through October and the last sharks are usually gone by November. He and other biologists are eager to convey how rare encounters truly are. According to the International Shark Attack File, which is made by the Florida Museum of Natural History.

As of July of 2023, since 1837, there have been 1,595 documented shark attacks in U.S. waters. BU College of Arts and Sciences professor of biology, Philip Lobel, has pointed to the fact that studies have shown sharks mostly move around or ignore people and state, quote, every animal attacks when it's motivated, but not every animal is motivated to attack. all of the time, adding, quote, it really becomes an issue of selfishness. Do you want to get in the water or do you want wildlife? And he isn't alone in that thought. A well-fleet resident in the documentary stated, some people are acting as if the ocean is their own personal swimming pool and that sharks and seals don't belong. Human kind must learn humility in the face of nature. In addition, according to an article in the journal, Nature, despite years of calls to better protect

sharks and rays. Since 1970, the global abundance of those predators have declined more than 70%. So it's really difficult to look at an isolated population in a small little snippet of the world and be like, sharks are on the rise and they're going to take over everything when in reality their global populations are in real trouble. In what scientists are calling a unprecedented increase in the risk of extinction, half of these species are now classified as endangered or critically endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of threatened species. The most current catch data reveals that humans kill 80 million sharks every year. What? 25 million of which are threatened species. That's horrible. That's so many. Well, I guess I'm thinking why, but then I

remember people do like shark fin soup and then like fishing and I mean there's also you know I mean some people fish and hunt sharks exclusively and sometimes they're bycatch like accidental catch sometimes it's for things like shark fin soup like there's a lot of reasons why but 80 million a year is so much is an astronomical number so when you I mean not saying like shark lives are more or less important or whatever, just numbers-wise. With, what did I say? Since 1837, there's been 1,5-95 documented shark attacks. That's not even fatalities. That's attacks. Yeah. From the 1800s. From the 1800s. Yep. In the US. And globally, we kill 80 million a year. It's like, it's, I just, I don't want to downplay those thing. Right. I don't want to downplay. Like, obviously,

Anyone who has been attacked is obviously it's a life-altering event and emotionally, physically, et cetera. And obviously the people who lose their lives, it's traumatic for all of those that love them. But in like the grand scheme of things, like there is, there's more to it. And it's not just a one-way deal. Like we're doing a lot of damage to their species. Regardless of the number of attacks, individual animals, deaths and more, it's important we take the time to focus. on the victims and share their stories. Because for their surviving loved ones,

their person is so much more than just a number. In the aftermath of the attack, Isaac enrolled in therapy to help process the trauma of the attack and work through the flashbacks of his experience. Arthur Medici's service was held on September 19th at a church in Stagas, and his remains have been interred back in his home country of Brazil. His obituary highlights his deep faith,

love of surfing, and other sports, and states he will be remembered for his great sense of humor, selfless ways, and huge heart. His death reached far beyond those who knew him in life. His tribute wall, online, is full of messages of condolences from strangers across the Cape, the country, and the world who were touched by hearing of his passing. There were also paddle out memorial events organized in his memory on the Cape, where the surfing community sat atop their boards in a really big circle amongst the waves holding hands and spreading flowers to remember Arthur. In another effort to honor Arthur's

memory, a group of Cape Cod wave riders formed a partnership with Cape Cod Ocean Community to create the Arthur Medici Memorial Scholarship, which benefits qualifying students of the Nosset Regional High School. Last year, thanks to donations, the fund was able to award six students scholarships to help mitigate college expenses. So that was done in his memory as well. In 2020, a permanent bench and memorial stone were dedicated in honor of Arthur and was placed on Newcomb Hollow Beach. Members of the community and his family were in attendance to the dedication, including his fiance, Emily, who said she and her family have no misgivings about the beach where Arthur died. She said at the ceremony, he was doing what he loved. People should not be afraid to come here.

Sunflowers, which was Arthur's favorite, were placed on the bench and scattered in the water. As a side note, just because I felt like I had to include it, because it's kind of like what hell. There has been vandalism of his bench on several occasions. Police have investigated three separate occasions in which someone or a group of people were placing fake bloody legs on his memorial. Ew, why is wrong with people? That's so disrespectful. It's like the most disrespectful thing you could do. The first fake leg was removed by the town's public works department and the second was reportedly attached to the fence near the memorial stone. A note reading RIP was attached to it and it was wearing a pair of torn jeans.

And then the third leg they had to remove, also wearing jeans, had fake blood on it and it was reportedly attached to a cooler filled with cement. So it was hard to remove. Like what? Why would someone do that? That's so disrespectful and traumatizing to all of them. his loved ones. Right. It's just like, I, yeah. So despite those isolated and excusable actions and whatever side of the shark and seal rift that people find themselves on, Arthur Medici's spirit is part of

the Wellfleet community and the people of Cape Cod really hold him dear to their hearts and remember him always. And that is the story of Arthur Medici and the sharks and seals of Cape Cod. Well, very interesting. I think that there's a lot of discussion that can be made on both parts, you know, for fishermen, for recreational, for everything. Obviously, it's pretty clear from this conversation where we stand. And I will happily say you have not deterred me from being excited to go to the Cape with my family. Good. I'm glad. Because I don't like, again, like, I'm not here to do any sort of fearmongering. It's just like this is what happened. These are the facts. And do with that what you will. I think knowledge is power. It really is. Like when you know these things have happened, when you know that there's places where you can talk to someone about shark safety, when you know things, that's how you're safer. Not knowing what's going on is a lot worse than knowing. Exactly. It's just, yeah. I mean, it's just, it can be translated to, you know, on land as well. I mean, we have, how many times have you seen trail closures with increased activity of like grizzlies or cougars? And,

And those are done for a reason for public safety. And, you know, you can't bash that. Even if it's an inconvenience to you, it's for the, it's for your safety. And also the safety of the animals, because if you were to ignore that or that wasn't posted and that information wasn't conveyed appropriately, what if something happened, you know? And then obviously that animal is, is euthanized and in a situation where it possibly could have been prevented. So I mean, it's always evolving in our understanding and our relationship with wildlife is obviously an ongoing evolution. And I think that the more we know, the better we can do

and we can't know more if we wipe everything out. Because that's not, I mean, how long have we done that? We know that's not the answer. So I think we need to like, you know. Try something else. Try something else. So yeah, that's the story. Well, thank you for sharing. And thanks for taking us to a national park in New England, which is hard to come by. I know. But it's exciting to hear about. Cool. Well, I hope you enjoy your trip, honestly.

I will be keeping you updated, don't you worry. Perfect. All right, everyone, thanks for joining us. We will see you next time. In the meantime, enjoy the view. But watch you're back. Bye. Bye.

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