North Atlantic great white sharks spend winters off the southeast U.S., from South Carolina to Florida and the Gulf of Mexico. Here's why.
A 10-foot great white shark surfaced off the Space Coast of Florida in what could be considered a prime viewing area for a planned Friday, Dec. 13 SpaceX launch.
The shark, nicknamed Penny by the OCEARCH scientist who tagged her, pinged southeast of Cocoa Beach at 9:48 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 12.
The satellite tag attached to Penny's dorsal fin emitted a ping with location information when it broke the water's surface and sent it to the OCEARCH tracker.
It's Penny's second ping off Florida's east coast this month. The animal surfaced off Amelia Island on Dec. 3, the first ping of her current overwintering journey around Florida.
North Atlantic great white sharks spend summers up North and migrate south to spend winter in warmer waters with more abundant food sources, including around Florida and the Gulf of Mexico.
Penny left the Gulf of Lawrence near the Canadian province of New Brunswick on Oct. 6 and headed for the North Atlantic Ocean, then south to Florida where she first pinged off Amelia Island on Dec. 3.
During Penny's last overwintering in Florida, the shark pinged around Florida numerous times, including:
Here's what to know about Penny, OCEARCH and sharks in Florida:
What to know about OCEARCH great white shark Penny
Penny, a female juvenile great white shark, measured 10 feet 3 inches and weighed 522 pounds when it was tagged on April 23, 2023, off Ocracoke, North Carolina.
The shark has traveled 8,977 miles since then.
Penny was the 92nd white shark tagged by OCEARCH in the Western North Atlantic and named after the group's friends at Salty Penny Canvas in Morehead City, North Carolina.
How many sharks does OCEARCH track?
As of Dec. 11, 2024, according to the OCEARCH shark tracker, the group has tagged 373 sharks, with great white sharks leading the pack:
The group has also tagged alligators, dolphins, seals, swordfish and turtles.
What does OCEARCH do for great white sharks?
OCEARCH is a nonprofit research organization studying the ocean's giants.
The group studies keystone species, including great white sharks, essential for the health of the oceans.
"At OCEARCH, we're on a mission to solve the Global White Shark Puzzle. There are nine populations of white sharks across the globe and OCEARCH's goal is to assist regional scientists to better understand the life of the white shark in each of these populations," the group's website states.
During the expeditions, researchers collected previously unattainable data on the animals' migrations, reproductive cycle, genetic status, diet, abundance, and more.
"If we lose the apex predator (sharks) then we lose all our fish and then there are no fish sandwiches for our grandchildren," OCEARCH founder Chris Fischer told the Courier Journal. "That's oversimplified, of course, but the idea is important because many shark species are threatened by overfishing and a demand for shark fins in Asia. Their dwindling numbers jeopardize ocean habitats."
Are there great white sharks around Florida?
Yes. Great white sharks migrate south when the water gets cold and food sources become scarce up North, according to OCEARCH chief scientist Dr. Bob Hueter.
Think of them as the snowbirds of sharks.
Most of them tend to stay away from the beaches in continental shelf waters, Hueter said.
Great white shark facts
Here are some things to know about white sharks, according to NOAA Fisheries:
The U.S. led the world with 36 attacks and Florida again was the state with the most bites at 16, none of which were fatal.
A great white shark has not been identified in a Florida shark bite since 1926.
While the U.S. has the most attacks, South Africa has the most shark-related fatalities.