How a booming coastal escape learned to coexist with the ocean’s top predator

As great white sharks increasingly frequent the waters off one popular seaside destination, tourists are flocking there, too — but they’re experiencing the hot spot in a different way.

Cape Cod is a renowned seaside destination in southeastern Massachusetts that has long drawn summer vacationers with its picturesque beaches, historic coastal towns and lighthouses. In recent years, though, it has also become increasingly known for its seasonal population of great white sharks.

Far from deterring visitors...