New AMBER alert-like system would send alerts to people’s phones when a shark is nearby

A bipartisan bill to create an AMBER Alert-style shark warning system that alerts beachgoers of nearby predators is one step closer to reality.

The bill, which passed the Senate, known as Lulu’s Law, would allow federal and local authorities to send cellphone alerts to notify beachgoers when a shark attack occurs or when conditions could lead to a heightened risk of incidents.

“If there’s one shark feeding in that area, there could be others as well,” Dr. Greg Skomal with the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries, told Boston 25 News. “We have seen a series of bites in a very small area in a short period of time in certain parts of the eastern seaboard of the U.S.”

Massachusetts has experienced notable attacks, including a 2018 incident at Longnook Beach in Truro where a 61‑year‑old man survived a great white shark bite, and a fatal attack at Wellfleet’s Newcomb Hollow Beach the following month.

Sightings of great white sharks in the region, particularly near Cape Cod, have increased in recent years. Tracking studies from organizations such as the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy and UMass‑Dartmouth estimate that around 800 individual great whites passed through Cape Cod between 2015 and 2018.

Lulu’s Law would let officials send phone alerts after shark attacks or during high-risk conditions. (Getty Images)

Lulu’s Law is named after 16‑year‑old Lulu Gribbin from Alabama, who lost a leg and a hand in a shark attack off the Florida Panhandle last year.

Sen. Katie Britt, who introduced the bill, told the Alabama Daily News that she spoke with Gribbin and her family after the bill passed, saying, “It was just incredible. The joy in her voice, the excitement, you know how hard it is to get anything through this chamber, much less right now at such a divisive time, and the fact that we came together in a bipartisan way to move this forward is huge.”

Massachusetts state lawmaker Julian Cyr, who represents Cape and Islands, said he supports improving shark safety, but is worried that poor cell phone reception is limiting the alert system’s effectiveness.

Great white shark sightings near Cape Cod have risen, with studies estimating around 800 sharks passed through the area between 2015 and 2018. (Getty Images)

“The practicality of this law on Outer Cape beaches is limited,” Cyr told Boston 25 News. “For our Atlantic-facing beaches on Cape Cod, we’ve had a real challenge around cell phone access.”

Supporters say the legislation would serve as an additional safety tool, not a replacement for apps like Sharktivity, which rely on sensors and GPS to track sharks, but instead would notify users only when a bite occurs.