A third white shark was tracked off Maine's coast this season, experts said.
A 12-foot adult male called Bobby E, the shark, also known as a great white shark, was detected this week in the waters of Casco Bay near Harpswell and Bailey Island, NBC affiliate News Center Maine reported. That's near the site of Maine's only known deadly shark attack occurred back in 2020.
The Sulikowski Shark and Fish Conservation Lab at Arizona State University had tracked Bobby E up the Atlantic Coast to Casco Bay. At least two other white sharks have been spotted in the bay this year.
"White sharks have always been here." James Sulikowski, the head of the lab, told News Center Maine. "It's just now we're seeing them because we've got more protection, we have more eyes in the water, so it's actually a good thing."
Sulikowski said he is working with the Maine Department of Marine Resources and the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy to pinpoint sharks along Maine's coast with various forms of technology, like sonar and GPS devices.
A 63-year-old New York City resident was killed in the 2020 attack, which prompted new shark safety measures to be put in place at Maine beaches. The woman was brought to shore by kayakers but died before first responders could get to her.
