More Rare Creature Sightings In The Waters Of Cape Cod

Thousands of people flock to Cape Cod in the summer months, but this season there have been a few different-looking tourists in town.

Once again a rare creature was spotted in the waters of Cape Cod, an area getting more than its fair share of interesting animal sightings this summer.

This time, the unlikely animal was swimming in Nantucket Sound, a spot known for its shark sightings. But not this type of shark.

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On July 20, boaters off Monomoy Island in Chatham noticed a shark under the water near their boat.

They quickly grabbed their cameras because this wasn't a typical Chatham shark sighting.

This was a hammerhead.

Hammerhead sharks, known for their distinctive T-shaped heads, are rare in general. Most species of hammerhead are critically endangered due to overfishing, so seeing one in open waters is incredible.

READ MORE: See Shark That Washed Up on Westerly's Watch Hill Shores

Considering they prefer warmer waters, seeing them this far north is almost unheard of.

It's not the only time this season an almost unheard-of animal sighting has happened on the Cape.

Early in June, an American flamingo was seen on Dennis Beach and just last week, what experts believe is the same flamingo was spotted wading in the shallow waters of Briggs Marsh in Little Compton, Rhode Island.

The warmer waters have also brought orcas to the area, which sadly led to the stranding of dozens of dolphins this season and the first gray whale sighting off the New England coast in over 200 years.

READ MORE: Massachusetts Researchers Spot Rare Whale Thought To Be Extinct

Though residents and tourists on the Cape enjoy the rare animal sightings, it's all just more evidence of how climate change affects our oceans.

The Gulf of Maine, which stretches from Cape Cod to Canada, is warming faster than almost any other body of water on the planet. So, who knows what creatures we'll be seeing next?