A huge great white shark measuring over 13 feet and weighing 1,500 pounds has been tracked just off the South Carolina coast.
The shark, known as Breton, was tracked by ocean research organization Oceanarch and was lurking approximately 60 miles offshore from Myrtle Beach on August 2.
Ocearch tags great white аk to learn more about the рeсe and their behavior; the tagged аk “ping” on the tracker when their dorsal fins approach the water’s surface.Before this “ping,” Breton had spent June and July off the coast of Florida.
Breton is part of the North Atlantic great white shark population that swims along the east coast of the U.S. and Canada. Normally, the аk migrate along the route, spending the summers in the north and the winters in the south.
A stock photo shows a great white shark. Breton, tracked by Ocearch, is in South Carolina. ANDYTHIRLWELL/GETTY
However, Breton has lingered in the south for much longer than is usual this year, and according to Ocearch, this is the longest one of their tagged great whites has spent in the south.
Ocearch said on Facebook that Breton is “somewhat of an аomау.”
“While the rest of our actively pinging white sharks are off the Northeast U.S. or Atlantic Canada, Breton remains in the warm waters off the Southeast U.S. “This is the latest we’ve seen one of our white sables stay this far south in the Western North Atlantic,” Ocearch said on Facebook.
“We typically see our white ak migrate north from mid-May to June.How Breton is dealing with the warm water temperatures or if he’s finally started his migratory trip north towards Atlantic Canada are some of the questions our science team is currently asking. “We will be watching Breton’s movements closely over the next few weeks.”
The majority of Ocearch’s tagged white sharks are currently off the coast of Canada.
Breton’s ping in South Carolina may indicate that he is finally beginning his journey north for the winter.
South Carolina has recorded 107 unprovoked shark attacks since 1837, according to the Florida Museum’s shark attack file. It ranks fourth in the state for the most shark attacks recorded.
However, shark attacks remain rare, and while Breton is lurking close to the shore, his presence poses little danger to humans.
The huge male shark was first tagged by the research group in September 2020. When Oceaneer tags a shark, researchers use a hydraulic platform to lift them out of the water, where they then attach a tracker to their bodies.
Before he spent June and July in Florida, Breton was tracked incredibly close to the North Carolina shore. Scientists believe this is where white yaks go to mate and raise their young.