The U.S. East Coast has always been inhabited by white sharks. It’s just the way it is. However, in the last few decades, they’ve quietly —but surely— moved from Cape Cod into the seemingly colder waters off Nova Scotia and Maine. That doesn’t mean panic (no matter what Spielberg instilled in us with the Jaws movie). But before we leave you scratching your heads —who would switch from Cape Cod to Nova Scotia, anyway?— here’s the reason white sharks have packed up and left.

What scientists have found

Scientists set up underwater “listening lines” near Halifax and in the Cabot Strait. Since 2018, those stations have picked up a lot more tagged white sharks swimming by. By 2022, the chance of a tagged shark showing up near Halifax was about two and a half times higher than before, and almost four times higher in the Cabot Strait. Sharks are also staying longer: about 70 days in 2023, up from about 48 days a few years earlier.

In Maine, state sensors have detected 93 different tagged sharks since 2020, including 19 in 2024. Each shark wears a tiny sound tag, and when it passes a listening station, the station records the shark’s ID and the time. Because the Halifax and Cabot Strait stations have been run the same way for years, scientists can compare results fairly and see the trend clearly.

Why the shift north?

Two big forces are at work. First, gray seals (prime prey for white sharks) have emigrated themselves too along New England and Atlantic Canada, thanks to decades of protection. Second, the Gulf of Maine is warming faster than most of the world’s oceans, expanding comfortable habitat into higher latitudes.

Put food and suitable temperatures together, and it finally becomes the trendiest hotspot among white sharks (understandably). Add in strong protections—bans on landing the species in U.S. federal waters since the late 1990s and legal protection in Canada since 2011—and you have a population with room to recover and roam freely.

Myths from Jaws, busted

Myth 1: “They target people.” Fact: white sharks hunt seals, fish, and other marine animals. Most bites on humans are cases of mistaken identity in choppy or murky water (we are not as tasty as we think we are).
Myth 2: “Once a shark shows up, beaches are unsafe for years.” Fact: Their presence on a beach is seasonal; white sharks will only appear if there’s prey (food) and adequate temperature (coziness) available.
Myth 3: “They stalk boats.” Fact: interactions with vessels are rare and usually curiosity around lines or catch (no matter how iconic that “We’ll need a bigger boat” was).
Myth 4: “More sharks means more attacks.” Fact: 2024 saw one of the lowest global tallies of unprovoked bites in decades. Population recovery and smarter beach management can coexist.

Since 1837, Maine has only two confirmed unprovoked shark bites, with its first fatal case in 2020 off Bailey Island. Canada has very few confirmed incidents on record. Millions of people enter the water each summer for a dip; incidents remain exceptionally rare. The International Shark Attack File counted 47 unprovoked bites worldwide in 2024, near a multi-decade low, and only a small fraction involved this species.

This is actually actually good news for the ecosystem

Apex predators are like marine auditors. When white sharks return, it often signals that prey communities and protections are working. Their presence helps keep seal and fish populations in balance, and supports healthier food webs. Apps, harbor-master alerts, and colored flags give swimmers and surfers quick, practical cues, much like rip-current warnings.

Expect more summer and early fall visits from white sharks in the Gulf of Maine and Atlantic Canada. Expect local news and beach advisories to keep reporting on white sharks as the tagging network expands and detection sensitivity improves. There’s nothing to fear… but check the local news before going for a swim… just in case!