Two great white sharks have been seen off the First Coast this past week on their way back north.
The sharks, tagged by the OCEARCH research team, appear to be leaving their wintering areas around Florida and the Gulf of Mexico.
A massive 1,600-pound male nicknamed “Scotchman” was tracked off the coast of St. Augustine on Saturday, April 13.The 12-foot-tall animal’s satellite tag sent a signal at 12:01 p.m.
Scott was previously tracked near Palm Bay on March 29 and near the Florida Keys from February 10 to 28.
At 11:16 a.m. Wednesday, April 17, Penny, a 10-foot great white shark, pinged off the coast of Amelia Island near Fernandina Beach. Operations, her first trip to the Sunshine State since being tagged. Making noises around Marco Island. 6, January 11 off the coast of Sarasota, and January 15 off Cape Coral.
Researchers attach satellite tags to the shark’s dorsal fin. When the shark emerges from the water, the satellite tag sends a pulse signal with location information to the tracker.
Here’s what to know about Scot and Penny, the nonprofit OCEARCH, and Florida’s Great White Sharks:
More information about OCEARCH Great White Shark Scot
On September 8, 2021, OCEARCH scientists tagged Scotsman in Nova Scotia near Iron Bond Island.
At the time, the shark was classified as an adult male, measuring 12 feet, 3 inches long and weighing 1,644 pounds.
Scott is the 74th great white shark tagged by OCEARCH in the Northwest Atlantic.
According to OCEARCH, Scot was named by its SeaWorld partners after the people of Nova Scotia “who have been so passionate and committed to the science and health of our oceans.”
What to know about OCEARCH Jaws Penny
Penny, a female juvenile great white shark, was 10 feet, 3 inches long and weighed 522 pounds when she was tagged on April 23, 2023, near Ocracoke, North Carolina.
Since then, the shark has traveled a staggering 5,630 miles, from North Carolina north to Nova Scotia and then south to the Gulf of Mexico for the winter.
Penny is the 92nd white shark tagged by OCEARCH in the western North Atlantic and was named after the organization’s friend at the Salty Penny Canvas in Morehead City, North Carolina.
What does OCEARCH do?
OCEARCH is a nonprofit research organization that studies ocean giants.
The team studies great white sharks and other key species critical to ocean health.
OCEARCH was originally scheduled to launch its 47th expedition on April 1, but it was canceled due to repair and maintenance delays on its research vessel M/V OCEARCH. Post on Xformerly Twitter.
During past expeditions, researchers have collected previously unavailable data on animal migrations, reproductive cycles, genetic status, diet, abundance and more.
OCEARCH founder Chris Fischer told USA TODAY Network’s Courier Journal: “If we lose the apex predator[the shark]we lose all the fish and our children and grandchildren won’t have fish sandwiches. ” Of course, this is an oversimplification, but the idea is important because many shark species are threatened by overfishing and demand for shark fins in Asia. Their decline threatens marine habitats. “
OCEARCH Shark Tracker: A shark ‘paints’ a shark portrait
OCEARCH provides an online map that tracks the journey of tagged sharks.
Each animal has a Smart Position and Temperature Transmission (SPOT) tag attached to its dorsal fin, which emits a pulse signal when it briefly emerges from the water and transmits location information to the tracker.
The most eye-catching tracker page belongs to a 13-foot-3-inch white shark nicknamed Breton. Sounds made by the 1,437-pound shark between September 2020 and January 2022 show the outline of a massive shark with its tail in Nova Scotia, its body stretched across the East Coast and its head pointing toward Florida. East Coast.
How many sharks has OCEARCH tagged?
According to its tracker, OCEARCH has tagged 371 sharks, including 123 great whites.
- 123 great white sharks
- 144 Tiger Shark
- 9 black tip sharks
- 29 Shortfin Mako Shark
- 25 blue sharks
- 18 hammerhead sharks
- 6 silky sharks
- 6 bull sharks
- 8 whale sharks
- 3 great hammerhead sharks
The organization also tags alligators, dolphins, seals, swordfish and sea turtles.
Are there great white sharks in Florida?
Yes. Dr. Bob Huett, chief scientist at the Marine Research Center, said great white sharks migrate south when water in the north cools and food sources become scarce.
Think of them as snowbirds like sharks.
Hueter said most of them tend to be on beaches farther away from shelf waters.
In 2023, there were 69 recorded unprovoked shark attacks worldwide.
Shark attacks by Florida county:
The United States has the most shark attacks, while South Africa has the most shark-related deaths.
According to floridapanhandle.com, there have been 1,230 shark bites worldwide over the past 47 years, with the largest number of bites involving great white sharks. However, according to the Shark Attack Files, no white sharks have been found involved in shark bites in Florida from 1926 to the present.
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