1,500-Pound Great White Shark Discovered Off the Eastern Coast of Florida

FLORIDA - The 1,500-pound Breton is a great white shark - one of the many great whites being monitored by OCEARCH, a global non-profit organization conducting in-depth research on ocean giants.

The marine research group OCEARCH had previously fitted the great white shark, known as "Breton," with a tracking device, as the non-profit organization does with other ocean giants.

Each time the dorsal fin of the shark breaks the water's surface, the tag "pings." The device sends out a signal whenever this occurs, allowing OCEARCH researchers to locate it.

On July 24, the shark was located in the Atlantic Ocean when Breton's latest ping was detected east of Anastasia Island, about 60 miles out on Florida's east coast. The location of the shark's previous ping on July 12 along the Florida coast was a little bit further south.

Breton of Cape Breton

Breton, a 13.3-foot-long adult male great white shark weighing 1,437 pounds, was first tagged by OCEARCH on September 12, 2020. His tagging took place in Canadian waters close to Cape Breton, which is located in the province of Nova Scotia.

The shark was given that name by OCEARCH researchers in honor of the province's easternmost island, Cape Breton.

In two years of working in the region, Breton is the fifth shark that OCEARCH has tagged at Scatarie Island, which is located just off Cape Breton Island.

Breton has traveled a remarkable 19,500 miles since being tagged, according to OCEARCH. This equates to roughly four-fifths of the circumference of the Earth.

During the time that OCEARCH has been following him, Breton has been swimming in the waters off the coast of the southeastern United States, venturing further out into the Atlantic, and spending time in the waters close to Cape Breton.

Read also: Great White Sharks Show Color-Changing Ability to Camouflage 

OCEARCH Data

Since 2007, OCEARCH has been tagging many sharks of various sizes and species all over the world. Data gathered during that time has shown that, in addition to Cape Cod, Massachusetts, Nova Scotia is a significant great white hotspot in the Northwest Atlantic.

Every year in the late summer and early fall, white sharks gather in groups in Nova Scotia and Cape Cod to feed on the profusion of seals-and other prey-that are not accessible along the southeast coast, where they spend the rest of the year.

According to the tracking information gathered by OCEARCH, there may be two subpopulations of great white sharks in the Northwest Atlantic, each of which prefers to feed near Cape Cod or Nova Scotia.

Sharks are captured by OCEARCH experts using a modified drumline before being led back to the research vessel, which is a ship that is geared with a special lift that can carry sharks onto the deck. Once there, researchers fit the animals with tracking devices after they collect a variety of samples.

Social media users pointed out earlier this year how Breton's tracking path posted on the OCEARCH website accidentally resulted in an image that uncannily resembled a shark, Newsweek reports.

Related article: Massive 13-Feet-Long Great White Shark Detected Just 20 Miles Off North Carolina Coast