Are Big Sharks Making Their Presence Known In Penobscot Bay Too?

In the last couple of weeks, we've been hearing a lot about sharks. From the fatal attack off the coast of southern Maine, to talking with Nathan Garrison of Shark Banz last week, it feels like we're all slowly becoming shark experts. Well, not really. Monday morning quarterbacks on the subject maybe. But we're more informed than ever.

But recently, Dominic Gioia, owner of Camden Harbor Cruises, has begun seeing the aftermath of shark attacks on seals. Everything from seals that have just gotten kind of a curious nibble, all the way up to seals being bitten in half. And then on one of the sightseeing cruises his company runs, a boy on the boat exclaimed about a big fish.

According to the Pen Bay Pilot, Gioia said he saw a 15-20 animal just a little ways away from the boat, but that it dove quietly, and there was no blow hole when it dived.

It was calm so we could see miles of flat water around the boat. The dorsal fun was a bit curved so it didn’t instantly register as a shark until it went back under water. No dive like a dolphin and no blowhole. I kind of thought it was a huge Mako shark but I have never seen one that big before and they usually move much faster.

Oddly enough, the state isn't totally recognizing these sightings, stating that as of now, all sightings have been down in Casco Bay. But up here in Penobscot Bay, there have been lots of stories of seeing shark attack evidence. But c'mon... it's the ocean. It's where they live. So in my mind, there's no doubt that there's big sharks swimming nearby.

But really, here we are in 2020, experiencing things we never, ever thought we would, so why wouldn't this be the year we start having great white shark attacks? My heart goes out to the family of the woman who died from an attack in southern Maine, and you can bet your bottom dollar, you won't find me out in the water anytime soon. I'll stick to the lake at camp!