A 13-foot great white shark tracks off Carolinas as predators move south for winter

A 13-foot, 4-inch great white shark is being tracked off Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and scientists expect it to be joined by countless others in coming weeks.

The 1,308-pound predator breached the surface Oct. 29, just long enough for a tag on its dorsal fin to ping off a satellite, researchers with OCEARCH report.

Two days later, on Halloween, a 9-foot, 9-inch great white pinged 125 miles to the north, off Carolina Beach in North Carolina, OCEARCH says.

The two are among thousands of great whites heading south for the winter, a process that turns the East Coast into one big shark interstate during the fall, experts say.

It began after the Fall Equinox in September, as tagged sharks began leaving waters off Newfoundland and turning up along New England.

“Factors such as the seasons shifting and subtle changes in water temperature help trigger these animals to make a move,” OCEARCH reported in early October.

“We will likely see more of our sharks making their transition south later this month and November.”

Tags applied by OCEARCH have given new insights into the once-mysterious migration, revealing when sharks begin to leave the Northwest Atlantic and where they go. Among the discoveries is some will travel as far west as the mouth of the Mississippi River, McClatchy News reported.

“White sharks demonstrate strong site fidelity, with individuals returning to the same location in multiple years, suggesting these animals use complex navigational cues to migrate over thousands of miles every year,” OCEARCH-backed researchers reported in September.

It is believed great white sharks mate off North Carolina’s Outer Banks as the predators return to the Northwest Atlantic in the spring.

OCEARCH is still collecting data to prove the theory. However, it could explain why mature females often head out into deeper Mid-Atlantic waters after gathering off North Carolina, experts say.

It’s believed they are pregnant and trying to avoid aggressive males as they gestate, OCEARCH says.

This story was originally published October 31, 2022 at 2:44 PM with the headline "A 13-foot great white shark tracks off Carolinas as predators move south for winter."