Sharks and torpedo rays wash up dead along Cape Cod: 'Very sad'

Rick Sobey, Boston Herald on Dec 16, 2025

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It’s been a busy time for marine wildlife rescuers and researchers, as more sharks were recently found dead along the Cape shoreline.

The sharks this time of year are trying to navigate out of Cape Cod Bay to warmer southern waters, but sometimes they take a wrong turn and get stuck.

One of those recently stranded sharks was a female juvenile sand tiger shark.

“These little sharks are more and more common in estuaries along the New England coast during the summer but they like warm water,” said John Chisholm, adjunct scientist at the New England Aquarium.

“Our tagging work has shown they should be far south of Cape Cod by now,” he added. “… Cape Cod acts like a natural fish trap, catching sharks and other marine life as they migrate south as water temperature drops.”

Also over the weekend, a third thresher shark washed up dead along the Cape.

The male shark stranded on Great Island in Wellfleet.

“We were able to get positional information, photos, and length measurements for the State,” posted the New England Coastal Wildlife Alliance.

“Again these are healthy fish that made a navigational error as they were heading south,” NECWA added. “Very sad.”

Rescuers have also been very busy with torpedo ray strandings in recent days. With the help of the community, NECWA was able to identify and collect 17 stranded dead Atlantic torpedos — also known as torpedo rays — along the northern shores of Cape Cod.

For any ray that washed up dead, NECWA collected photos, body measurements, weights and tissues.

If a carcass was removed from the beach due to extreme cold conditions, then that carcass and any removed tissues (liver, muscle, etc.) were returned for gulls to feast on.

“Scientists that NECWA has spoken to do not feel that these strandings are due to cold-stunning,” NECWA posted. “It is believed that torpedo rays live in our New England waters year round. However little is known about their biology and movements offshore. That is why the work conducted by NECWA is vital to enhance our understanding of this little know species that is the only electric ray in our waters.”

This season, NECWA has documented 41 stranded rays — which is half of last season at this time.

“Why this species strands predominantly in the fall and early winter is not known, but NECWA will continue to conduct our rescue, research, and observations on this species,” NECWA added. “We thank the community for all their help in reporting and retrieving carcasses and in rescuing live stranded animals. It takes a village and this village is making a difference!”

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