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New Equipment Will Track South Shore Great White Sharks

DUXBURY (CBS) - Shark experts are very anxious to see just how many sharks return to the waters off Massachusetts this summer. They will have new equipment to help track the sharks better than ever.

"This is their front yard, and we are guests," says Duxbury Harbormaster Don Beers.

Duxbury Beach has new signs warning beach-goers that great whites were in the area last summer.

Duxbury shark
Shark spotted off Duxbury. (MSP photo)

"Always remember, information is power," Beers said. "And information will keep you safe."

The great whites have been well-documented in waters off Chatham and Orleans. Dr. Greg Skomal of the Division of Marine Fisheries is now very anxious to see how many return this summer.

"Last year we tabulated 68 individual white sharks off the coast of Orleans and Chatham," said Dr. Skomal.

"This year we're going to go back out and see what proportion of those animals return. And we'll start to get a sense of the population size by doing some math and some modeling on those numbers."

Shark monitor
Shark detector to be deployed off South Shore (WBZ-TV)

Last summer, a great white attacked two kayakers in Plymouth. They weren't hurt, but their kayak bore the marks of the shark bite.

A great white was also spotted off of Duxbury Beach.

So now, three shark detectors are being deployed on the South Shore.

The state is also restricting human activity around the sharks. There will be no cage diving, no shark baiting and no towing decoys.

"We're not saying that you're not going to get the permit to do it, we're just saying we want to regulate these activities and get a handle on them," Dr. Skomal said.

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