BREWSTER MA – The weather held great promise Sunday (Aug. 6, 2023) for visitors to Crosby Landing Beach, in Brewster MA on Cape Cod Bay. Temperatures reached into the mid-70s. The small sand beach began filling with people at about 10:30 a.m. (at top), as barefoot kids searched for small creatures in shallow tidal pools. No one worried about the sharks problem.
The sharks problem
“Everyone on the Cape has sharks on the brain in recent years,” an article in Conde Nast Traveler magazine acknowledged Monday (Aug. 7). In it, author Todd Plummer cited estimates that indicate roughly 800 great white sharks now call the waters around Cape Cod home. They’re attracted by grey seals, a shark food source, which in turn are drawn by fish on which the seals feed.
Nauset Light Beach from a tower chair
“Over the weekend, multiple shark sightings were reported within 30 yards from popular beaches,” the Boston Herald newspaper reported Sunday. It added that “August has been the busiest month for shark activity along the Cape in recent years.”
The shark problem is primarily limited to the Cape’s east, Atlantic Ocean side. National Geographic magazine reported it now holds what is believed to be the highest density of white sharks in the world. Oceanside beaches, such as the one near the Nauset Beach Light Station in Eastham MA, post large signs (above) that warn swimmers of the possible danger.
Since 2019, several shore communities have maintained land-based and floating-but-anchored kits that contain emergency supplies. They’re purposely kept handy to be used as needed by rescuers of shark attack victims, increasing response and survival rates.
Crosby Landing Beach, operated by the Town of Brewster, and similar beaches lie along the more sheltered bay on the Cape’s west side. There is far less shark activity reported bayside, although the Herald said two sharks in separate incidents during July had leapt from the bay to snare striped bass already hooked to fishing lines.
Nearby, the Brewster Flats …
The Crosby beach itself is small, and isolated from traffic and merchants on Brewster’s Main Street. Drivers, hikers, and bicyclists reach it using a short road, Crosby Lane, that runs down to the shoreline. The area where it is located is called Brewster Flats, because the tidal flats (above) can be seen for hundreds of yards from the beach at low tide. The flats stretch across six additional beaches besides Crosby.
… and Crosby Mansion
The beach, the lane, and the nearby Crosby Mansion (above and below), all are named for prosperous 1870s businessman Albert Crosby. He built the Colonial Revival structure for his socialite wife, and “The Friends of Crosby” non-profit organization say it was the first home on the Cape to include gas lighting and indoor plumbing. Now restored, the mansion is used for parties, weddings, and other functions.
A $6-per-adult ticketed and self-guided tour of Crosby Mansion was unavailable during the Travels’ visit to the grounds, but it can serve as an incentive to go if you enjoy the period’s architecture and furnishings. Tours are advertised for Sundays and Wednesdays through Aug. 30. They are estimated to take about an hour. Docents are on hand to answer questions. The mansion’s first floor is handicap accessible. Call 508-896-1744 for more information.
Environmental work, and some quirkiness
Those who stroll along the beach can find restorations of other kinds, too. A large area has been set aside near its parking lot (above) as an environmentally sensitive, off-limits area for osprey nesting. Walk further northeast on the sand to find a dune reclamation project. There’s also a separate nesting area (below) for terns and plovers, birds that along with gulls are among Brewster’s most sighted local residents.
Headed away from the beach, and back to Main Street, another side of Brewster living makes its appearance.
Roadside signs advertise bayside yoga sessions. Down Main and toward the heart of town, the Cape Rep Theater is featuring a production of “The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane” on an outdoor stage. Many homes of weathered shingle construction showcase typical New England simplicity, but their yards are as individual as their owners. Some have sculptures planted (above) for street-side viewing.
Things to know if you go
Crosby Landing Beach and the Town of Brewster MA are a 7-hour drive, covering 391 miles, from Pottstown. Travels With The Post last visited there Aug. 6-9, during a trip that also involved other destinations. They can be reached by car using Interstates 276, 95, and 195, and Routes 25 and 6.
The beach is open year-round (until 10 p.m. nightly), but beach permits are required by the town from June 1 through Labor Day. A single-day non-resident permit costs $20. No fires or cookouts are allowed on public beaches. Pets are not allowed, either, from May 1 to Oct. 1. Temporary canopies, beach tents, portable seating, and food are acceptable.
Be careful with your food, and keep it securely stored. The gulls and terns are adept at opening almost anything!
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