![Cape Cod police call tow truck to load up a humongous great white shark [Photos]](https://atlaswebrise.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/cape-cod-great-white-shark-tow-truck-1-e1730738378583-1024x672.jpg)
“You really never know what kind of call you’ll respond to on any given shift,” the department said.
Last month in Orleans, Massachusetts, police faced an unusual scenario. The department got a call about a deceased white shark washed up on shore near the Cape Cod town. Due to its massive size, Orleans police decided to hire the same professionals they use when a 4×4 vehicle gets stuck on the beach: a local tow company.
Cape Cod police department shares photos of a rare tow scenario
The Orleans Police Department phoned Nauset Recovery. The company brought in a flatbed tow truck and hoisted the deceased shark up and away from the beach. The department shared photos of the event on its Facebook page.
The Atlantic White Shark Conservancy identified the dead white shark, named “Koala”
Scientists identified Koala in 2022. At the time of its death, the shark was a mature male measuring just over 12 feet long.
After initial observations, scientists were unable to determine the shark’s cause of death. They took and will test tissue samples to further examine the possibilities.
For some longtime Cape Cod residents, this is a first.
A recent study of Massachusetts coastal waters estimated about 800 white sharks in the area. In recent years, it seems, they’ve been attracted closer to shore, following the local seal population.
This September, another beach near Ipswich, Mass., north of Cape Cod, closed after white shark sightings.
In the comments section of the Orleans Police Department post, one 46-year Cape Cod resident remarked that this event is a first for them. Another mentioned their childhood visits to the beach, wherein they would swim far out without a worry or care for the predatory behemoths.
