Nauset Beach was shut down to swimming on Thursday after seven great white shark sightings were reported off the coast of Cape Cod.
According to the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy's Sharktivity app, four of the sharks were spotted in the same general area near Nauset Beach in Orleans. A fifth shark was seen near the mouth of Nauset Harbor. Two more great white sharks were spotted off the coast of Chatham.
"There was quite a lot of activity off of Nauset Beach today," said Cynthia Wigren, executive director of the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy. All of the sharks were spotted by the conservancy's research vessel.
Three of the sharks were spotted near Nauset Beach - two close to swimmers - so lifeguards wound up clearing the beach to swimming around noon.
Wigren said the sharks were spotted a bit further north than they are usually seen in the summer.
"Last week we were off of Nauset three days, and there was not quite as much activity," she said. "We're not sure what's causing that shift. This week, actually, the water temperature was cooler than what we had seen previously, so we're not able to peg it on temperature.
"It's normal activity - no surprises - but it is an area where earlier this season we were primarily working off Monomoy (Island). They've shifted north a bit recently."
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Nauset Beach reopened Friday morning, and remained open even after another great white shark was spotted close to shore around 1:30 p.m.
