James Sulikowski interviewed on two shark sightings off Maine coast

James Sulikowski, Ph.D., associate professor of marine science, was interviewed for media stories on shark sightings this week.

On Friday, August 2, Sulikowksi was interviewed by the Portland Press Herald after he viewed a video taken on Tuesday of a shark sighting off Boothbay harbor.

Sulikowski identified the animal as a white shark, saying he based his identification on the size of the fins, the size of the head and the way the shark was feeding on a whale carcass.

The warming of waters in the Gulf of Maine has led to more shark activity earlier in the year as they chase food moving closer to the coast, Sulikowski said.

Seals are a primary food source for white sharks and are cited as the reason white sharks have been congregating around Chatham, Mass., on Cape Cod, he said.

Great white shark attacks on humans are extremely rare, he said. "You have a much greater chance of dying by getting hit by a toilet seat in a freak accident, struck by lightning, you name it, than being attacked and eaten by a shark," he said. Read the Press Herald story and watch the video of the Boothbay Harbor shark.

Sulikowski was also interviewed for an Aug. 1st WMTW8 story on a possible Wells, Maine shark sighting. Watch the video.

A Bangor Daily News story on the Boothbay Harbor shark sighting includes a photo of a seal, dubbed Charleston Chew that is being cared for at the University of New England Marine Mammal Rehabilitation Center after encountering sharks.

About the University of New England

The University of New England is Maine’s largest independent university, with two beautiful coastal campuses in Maine, a one-of-a-kind study abroad campus in Tangier, Morocco, and an array of flexible, accredited online degrees. In an uncommonly welcoming and supportive community, we offer hands-on learning, empowering students to make a positive impact in a world full of challenges. The state’s top provider of health professionals, we are home to Maine’s only medical college, Maine’s only dental college, a variety of other interprofessionally aligned health care degree programs, as well as nationally recognized programs for marine science degrees, natural and social sciences degrees, arts and humanities degrees, and business degrees.