It’s not solely native sports activities and leisure venues which might be saying goodbye to money.
This summer time on the Cape, ensure you have your credit score and debit playing cards on the prepared.
Cape Cod Nationwide Seashore has introduced that it’ll transition to a completely cashless system at its charge entrance stations on July 1. Solely bank cards, debit playing cards, or cell funds shall be accepted at seaside entrance cubicles.
In the meantime as summer time kicks off, shark researchers are urging Cape beachgoers to be “Shark Smart” as white sharks hunt for seals near shore.
The Nationwide Seashore mentioned the transition to digital fee is safer and reduces transaction instances.
The choice aligns with a current government order and U.S Treasury insurance policies to scale back the amount of money and checks dealt with throughout the federal authorities.
“Cash sales represent 10% of in-person sales in the park,” Park Superintendent Jennifer Flynn mentioned in an announcement. “Throughout the busy summer time season, park rangers spend as much as eight and a half hours per day documenting, reporting, and transferring money receipts.
“Moving to a cashless system will reduce the amount of time park staff spend managing cash and increase their availability to engage with the public and collect fees while increasing the amount of fee revenue available to support critical projects and visitor services,” Flynn added.
The Nationwide Seashore mentioned entrance charges are a important income used to enhance the expertise for guests in nationwide parks.
Cape Cod Nationwide Seashore makes use of these funds for tasks like rebuilding the Marconi Seashore boardwalk and remark platform, putting in new charge cubicles at seashores, and rebuilding the Beech Forest path boardwalk.
Vacationers are capable of pay for entrance charges, superior reservations for tenting, consumer charges, and extra at lots of of Nationwide Park Service, US Forest Service, Bureau of Land Administration, Fish and Wildlife Service, and US Military Corps of Engineers websites all through the nation utilizing the Recreation.gov on-line service and the cell app.
That is the time of yr when extra white sharks arrive alongside the Cape, as they migrate north for the summer time and fall.
Lately, fishers noticed a juvenile white shark in 10 toes of water, going after striped bass.
“It’s shark season on Cape Cod!” the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy posted.
“As you head to the beach, don’t forget to be Shark Smart!” the Conservancy wrote. “Download the Sharktivity App and brush up on white shark public safety resources.”
The inshore waters off many Cape Cod and South Shore seashores are most well-liked feeding grounds for white sharks. White sharks hunt and feed on seals in shallow water near shore.
This presents a threat to these recreating in ocean waters. Whereas white shark bites on people are uncommon, they’ve occurred off Cape Cod. The newest chew in September of 2018 resulted in a fatality.
Native municipalities within the Cape and Islands and the Cape Cod Nationwide Seashore are liable for seaside administration and for quickly closing the seaside to swimming when a shark sighting is confirmed.
The Conservancy works intently with these entities, together with the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries, to supply shark advisory indicators for seashores, flags, and brochures that present training and ideas for seaside customers.
The Conservancy’s “Shark Smart” security ideas embody: comply with lifeguards’ directions; take note of seaside flag warnings; keep near shore the place rescuers can attain you; keep away from areas the place seals are current; avoid colleges of fish; restrict splashing; keep away from murky water; don’t be alone; and remember that sharks hunt for seals in shallow water.
