Surfers Ray Trautz and Pete Emond recently had a "close call" with a 10-foot great white shark. The cousins escaped unscathed, according to Boston Herald news release. The Atlantic White Shark Conservancy has issued a reminder for meticulous shark sighting reporting via the Sharktivity app.

Great white sharks, mainly attracted by the region's ample seal population, inhabit New England waters from May to November. As per MassLive, Senior Fisheries Scientist Greg Skomal noted the restoration of seal populations due to conservation laws like the Marine Mammal Protection Act has caused the increase of sharks in the region.

The Sharktivity app provides users to receive push notifications about nearby shark sightings, detections, and movements. This data assists in public safety, informing authorities and marine researchers about shark population locations and patterns. For research, multiple tracking technologies like acoustic, satellite, and camera tags, are used to collect data about shark behavior.

In addition to Trautz and Emond's encounter, there have been several other shark sightings in recent weeks, as reported by Boston 25 News. These sightings illustrate a trend of sharks lingering in Cape Cod waters into winter, emphasizing the necessity for alertness. As no lifeguards are on duty during the off-season, public awareness and cautious behavior are important. All residents and visitors are encouraged to stay alert and report all shark sightings for everyone's safety.