Conventional wisdom suggests that if there are numerous shark sightings off the coast of Cape Cod, out-of-towners are less likely to hit the beaches. As it turns out, the exact opposite is true. Cape Codders are reaping the benefits of a peculiar correlation between the rise of shark sightings and the tourism industry.

According to the Associated Press, sharks have become a massive draw for the Cape and Islands as evidenced, in part, by the massive amounts of shark shirts for sale, boom in boat tours and number of times ‘Jaws’ plays in local theaters.

‘Jaws,’ of course, was filmed off the coast of Martha’s Vineyard.

A study published back in June indicates that due to recent conservation implementations and regulations, “there have been apparent increases in abundance since the 1990s.”

Also, at the end of June, the second Cape Cod shark sighting of the summer was identified not more than one-quarter mile offshore by Nauset Beach at Orleans. The shark was a Great White.

“I mean, truthfully, we’ve probably grown about 500 percent in terms of the sale of our shark apparel,” Justin Labdon, owner of the Cape Cod Beach Chair Company, told the AP. The T-shirts, hoodies, hats, belts, dog collars and other accessories bear the iconic, torpedo-shaped image of great whites and sell for between $10 and $45.”

Those tens of dollars subsequently parlay into thousands of dollars.

The “forearm” of the Cape, unofficially from Chatham up to Truro, has an abundant population of seals that, though not the primary cause of the influx of these finned predators, helps to draw the sharks closer to shore.

Shark attacks on people are actually a rather rare occurrence, according to data provided by the University of Florida, and of the 106 unprovoked attacks since 1916, just 13 have been fatal. Much of the hype surrounding shark attacks has been perpetuated through mass media, though that’s not to say sharks can’t be a terrifying fish.

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