BLOCK ISLAND, R.I. — Four Great White sharks were detected off the coast of Block Island. For those about to head out the Island for a long weekend, the detection is no cause for alarm. Instead, it has scientists excited about understanding the population of sharks along the island shores.
"Last year we got a couple of white sharks and this year we’ve already got four," said Jon Dodd.
Dodd, the Executive Director of the Atlantic Shark Institute, called the detection an exciting early return. The detection comes during year two of a five-year study to determine the species of sharks and the amount that inhabit the coasts of the island. The sharks were detected in June traveling west to east along the southern part of the island. They spanned a 6.5-mile stretch.
"What we don’t know yet is if they go there and continue to go east towards the Cape or if they’re going to actually circumnavigate and spend more time there," said Dodd.
There are seven such arrays about the size of a thermos surrounding the island. They use acoustic receivers to detect tagged sharks. One of those Great Whites detected happened to be one Dodd tagged himself off the coast of the Carolina's over a year ago.
"It was kind of fun to say 'holy cow' what’s the likelihood of that? It’s not very high but that was probably the most special detection of this set of data," said Dodd.
Residents and tourists of the area are no strangers to the sharks. Town officials say the beaches are still open and that the detections were not near any of the busier beaches along the northern half of the island
"I’ve heard stories in the past of big sharks," said Nicholas Mignoli. "All those tales but I’m not too scared. I don’t go too far out,"
Mignoli makes a trip out to the island every year with family and friends. All that is on his mind is some better weather.
"Where I was from it was pouring rain. It’s a little overcast today but hopefully tomorrow will bring some better weather," said Mignoli.
Dodd says they will check the receivers again in a couple of weeks to see if those sharks are still there or if they have traveled on to the Cape or elsewhere. He said the detection doesn't bring any greater or lesser risk to anybody enjoying the shores of the island.
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