Stranded great white shark dies on Cape Cod beach

ORLEANS, Mass. -- Officials say a great white shark has died after it was spotted struggling in shallow water at Cape Cod.

Cynthia Wigren, executive director of the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy, told the Cape Cod Times a man spotted the 12-foot-long shark on Sunday while walking on Nauset Beach in Orleans.

Wigren said the shark had died by the time officials responded to the area. She said the male shark hadn’t been tagged. Researchers estimate it was over 20 years old.

Nothing appeared to be wrong with the shark, except that it had lost some skin from rolling in the surf, the newspaper said.

State shark scientist Gregory Skomal will conduct a necropsy on Monday.

Wigren says the incident marks the year’s first shark stranding on Cape Cod. Three sharks were stranded last year.

She says great white sharks usually begin migrating south in November.