White Sharks Found to Migrate to South Florida and Hunt Tuna and Seals

A new report said that white sharks began to migrate to Florida waters to hunt for more prey, including tuna and seals.

The sharks moved to South Florida waters after staying in Nova Scotia and Cape Cod. Sharks found the Florida waters to be rich in food sources because of the water temperatures.

(Photo : by JOSEPH PREZIOSO/AFP via Getty Images)
Cape Cod National Sea Shore in Cape Cod, Massachusetts on July 15, 2022

According to National Geographic, white sharks prefer to stay in areas with coastal waters or with cool temperatures. They can grow from 15 feet to over 20 feet.

Meanwhile, the World Wildlife Fund explained that white sharks are large predatory fish capable of tearing their prey into pieces. The article noted that sharks are also crucial in the marine food chain.

National Geographic explained that white sharks are experts in hunting in the ocean or finding their prey. They consume food, including tuna, seals, smaller sharks, sea bears, and many others.

Despite sharks' size, the report added that illegal fishing practices threaten their population.

According to the report, a marine research foundation named Ocearch conducted a tagging study for the sharks'

Shark migration

According to the report published on the Phys.org website, shark researcher Neil Hammerschlag explained that white sharks migrate due to the cold waters, acting like snowbirds migrating during winter. Hammerschlag is also the director of the conservation program , Rosenstiel School of Marine & Atmospheric Science at the University of Miami.

Hammerschlag added that the said sharks migrated due to the water temperatures allowing the marine animal to adapt.

On the other hand, a September study by Ocearch showed that sharks appeared habitual, visiting the same area every year. Ocearch conducted the study based on the 48 white sharks they managed to tag on the east coast.

According to the report, Florida showed more popularity for the tagged white sharks. The information provided that a tagged shark named Freya traveled over 7,568 miles for about two years.

The report noted that said shark was tagged in March 2021 in Carolinas waters. The researcher found that the shark traveled to Cape Cod and Nantucket for the summer. Then, it moved to the Gulf of Maine before reaching Florida waters in 2021.

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Sharks travel in different regions to find more food sources and the best water conditions. The report also explained that the sites have beneficial functions for the sharks depending on their needs:

New England and Canada for summer;
The Gulf Areas, including Florida, for the winter season.
Long Island was a place for summer yearlings' nurseries; Meanwhile, the Carolinas waters are winter nurseries for yearlings.

On the other hand, the researchers added that they studied the locations where sharks managed to mate.

Ultimately, the tagging of sharks has been important in locating and studying the sharks' activities in the oceans, including where there travel for food sources.