Shark expert weighs in after massive great white washes up on shore in Cape Cod and is hauled away by truck

Law enforcement in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, enlisted the help of a local tow truck company to remove a "giant" great white shark that washed up on shore.

"Not one of our typical calls for service. Nor is it one for our local duty tow, but, as always, we answered the call," the Orleans Police Department said in a Facebook post. "Unfortunately, this giant was located washed up on the beach, and just as with a 4x4 stuck on the outer, we called Dennis to tow it away."

Police shared graphic photos of the shark resting on the bed of a Nauset Recovery tow truck on Oct. 15, with residents commenting that the scene looked like something out of the famed movie, "Jaws."

Capt. Chip Michalove, the owner of Outcast Sport Fishing, told Fox News Digital that the shark team in Cape Cod is "the best on the Atlantic" and will investigate the cause of death.

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The great white shark was transported by a local towing company after it was found on the Cape Cod beach. (Orleans Police Department)

"It's hard to determine what exactly happened to the shark," he said. "If it was a released shark that didn't make it or if it had swung too close to the shore while chasing a seal."

"The shark team in Cape Cod, in Massachusetts, is the best in the Atlantic, and I'm sure they'll figure out what caused the fatality," he continued.

A female great white shark, approximately 8-feet in length, was spotted twice off the Alabama coast in the past month. (University of South Alabama)

The Atlantic White Shark Conservancy shared in a social media post that they performed a necropsy on the shark on Oct. 16.

The organization said that the shark was previously identified in 2022 and named Koala. The predator measured 12 feet and was a mature, male white shark.

"There are no obvious signs of how or why Koala died," the organization said. "Further testing will have to be done to find a cause of death."

The Atlantic White Shark Conservancy shared that they performed a necropsy on the shark. (Atlantic White Shark Conservancy)

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Michalove echoed the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy's analysis, saying that the shark could have stranded itself on the beach while chasing seals.

He said that the white shark population in the Atlantic is concentrated in the summer months in Canada and New England.

"I think of the white shark population in the Atlantic. They are in huge, huge packs. While they don't school together, they are concentrated in Canada and New England."

Michalove noted that sharks travel down south to warmer waters in the fall.

The white shark was found washed up off of the town of Orleans, Massachusetts. (Atlantic White Shark Conservancy)

Michalove marveled at the size of the great white shark, saying that it was "massive."

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The shark expert noted the predator had a cut along its jawline, saying that it could be from a hook.

"The corner of the jaw — there is some trauma there," he said. "It could be from a hook or from the sand. The pictures are vague, but there's definitely trauma there."

Chip Michalove with LeeBeth the shark in Hilton Head Island in South Carolina. (Chip Michalove)

Michalove said that shark conservation efforts in the past 30 years have been successful.

"The good news is that this species is extremely healthy. There's a lot more now than there was 30 years ago," he said. "It's terrible to lose one of this size, but there is a lot of them on this beach particularly."

Fox News Digital has reached out to the Orleans Police Department and the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy for comment.

Sarah Rumpf-Whitten is a breaking news writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business. 

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