BOSTON — Cape Cod isn’t the only spot in New England where great white sharks like to feast on seals.

A new study from local shark researchers has found that more than 100 white sharks that were tagged off the Cape were later detected along the Maine coast.

Shark scientists have tracked the movements of white sharks in Maine state waters since 2020 — following the state’s first recorded fatal shark attack.

With a focus on the southern coastline, researchers have deployed acoustic telemetry receivers from May through November each year to monitor for tagged sharks.

In total, 107 white sharks tagged by researchers in the Western North Atlantic were detected, with the majority detected in shallow waters.

“We know through our research and tracking that white sharks that visit Cape Cod travel well beyond these waters,” said Megan Winton, senior scientist at the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy.

“This study gives us deeper insight into their movement patterns off the coast of Maine,” Winton added. “This work reflects true partnership and will add to the ever-growing body of knowledge on white shark ecology.”

White sharks were detected between the months of May to December, with peaks between July and September.

The sharks were detected near several of Maine’s western beaches and islands/outcroppings, with higher numbers observed at several sites in eastern Casco Bay.

“By assessing acoustic transmitter data from over three hundred individuals, our findings provide evidence that a sizable portion of the WNA (Western North Atlantic) white shark population that visit the Cape Cod aggregation site also uses the waters of western nearshore Maine, particularly around the eastern Casco Bay area,” the researchers wrote in the study.

The overall lower number of detections in this study would suggest that shark activity is more spread out along Maine’s coastline than at the nearby Cape Cod aggregation site.

This is the first study to characterize the appearance of white sharks over time in the region.

“We are excited to have this study published and continue to expand our understanding of white sharks in the western North Atlantic and the coastal waters in Maine,” said Matt Davis, lead author of the study and scientist with the Maine Department of Marine Resources.

“This work could not have been done without the collaboration of many researchers and organizations, and we thank everyone involved,” Davis added.

The study’s results provide valuable insights for fisheries management and ongoing conservation efforts related to white sharks in a region that has been historically understudied.

Researchers plan to build upon this work and continue to develop a more comprehensive understanding of movement and habitat use in the region.

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