One of the biggest fears for New Englanders who live on the coast is sharks. In reality, sharks do not pose much of a threat to the New England area. There has not been an attack in New England waters in 75 years even though there have been many sightings over the years.
New Castle retired fisherman Jeff Cullen is not worried about a shark threat. "All sharks can be dangerous, but they usually don't attack humans," Cullen said. "Sharks do come in close to shore chasing fish."
In New England, there have only been five reported fatal shark attacks and the most recent occurred in 1936 in Mattapoint, Massachusetts.
There are three main sharks associated with attacks, Great Whites, Tiger, and Bull Sharks. Out of the three, only Great Whites and Tiger are seen in New England. There are also many other types of non-threatening sharks in the area as well. Mako, poorbeagle, blue, and thrasher sharks have been sighted over the years.
Recently this year, there have been multiple sightings in the New Hampshire area. In June, two sharks were spotted off the York, Maine coast. In July, a 7-foot Great White was spotted off the coast of Cape Cod. A dozen Great Whites were see off the coast of Cape Cod.
According to the Florida Museum of Natural History, people are much likelier to get struck by lightning than be attacked by a shark.
For New Hampshire and other the rest of New England, sharks might keep people out of the water but rarely pose a great threat. On the other hand, there is still a precaution that everyone should take when going to the beach.
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