A great white shark weighing 1,668 pounds was spotted swimming off the Florida panhandle this week, researchers said.
A transmitter on the female shark pinged south of Panama City in the Gulf of Mexico, according to OCEARCH, an international group that researches great white sharks.
The large female shark, dubbed “Miss Costa,” first pinged in the Gulf of Mexico in mid-March and has been moving north since then.
The organization said that she was initially tagged in 2016 off the coast of Nantucket, Maine. She measured 12 feet, 5 inches then; now, she could measure up to 15 feet long.
where am I watching #GameOfThornes tonight? oh just off the coast of the florida panhandle #panamacity
way more excited for this than any shark should be…not even a little ashamed pic.twitter.com/RgVbbKtlzt
— Miss Costa (@MissCostaShark) April 15, 2019
“Her trip to the Florida Panhandle is significant because OCEARCH doesn’t often track large white sharks that far north into the Gulf, especially big females. It’s been known for a long time that white sharks visit the Gulf of Mexico, but the majority of their activity there remains a mystery since data sets on their movements in the region are lacking compared to other areas in the Northwest Atlantic,” the research group stated in a press release.
“Miss Costa’s new tracks can help us start adding more depth to our understanding of white shark movements in the Gulf. Her trip this year is similar to a foray she made into the Gulf in January of 2018. This year’s trip also matches up almost exactly to the timing of white shark Hilton’s visit to the same area in 2018. Hilton, a mature male, laid down the closest tracks to the Panhandle that OCEARCH has ever collected. He also visited the DeSoto Canyon, a productive fishing area south of Pensacola that Miss Costa could visit this year.”
Only two other large female great white sharks have been tracked into the Gulf of Mexico, the organization stated.
where the party at? panama city of course!
yeah just might have to make an appearance. pic.twitter.com/vaG5JMBmT2
— Miss Costa (@MissCostaShark) April 5, 2019
Gavin Naylor, director of the Florida Program for Shark Research at the University of Florida, told the Pensacola News Journal that it isn’t unusual for great whites to enter the Gulf, but it is rare to get a ping from a tagged shark in the Gulf.
That’s because the tracking system only works when the shark is close to the surface. The sharks usually surface only in areas where they can feed on seals, sea lions, and other prey.
“White sharks are literally all over the place,” he said, noting that great white sharks can live up to 80 years and can travel across the globe multiple times in their lifespan.
Humans, he added, needn’t worry about the sharks.
“Humans are not part of their standard fare,” he said. “They are spectacular animals. I wouldn’t go out there and swim with them, but there is no reason for people to be worried about them.”
Miss Costa is named after OCEARCH’s partner, Costa Sunglasses.
“Costa is honored to support the important expeditions OCEARCH is leading,” said T.J. McMeniman, vice president of marketing at Costa, in a statement.
“As a company founded on the water, we strongly believe in protecting our watery world, and the health of our oceans is dependent upon the sharks that balance the critical ecosystem underneath. We are excited about any new discoveries Miss Costa can help unveil.”