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A great white shark was pinged six times off Florida's eastern coast last week as it migrated toward warmer waters from the northern Atlantic Ocean.
A 1,437-pound, 13-foot, 3-inch great white shark named Breton started pinging off the coast of Daytona Beach four times, according to data from OCEARCH, a nonprofit organization that tracks and collects data on various ocean life for research purposes.
The first ping happened around 11:37 a.m. on Jan. 9. Subsequent pings happened at 2:55 p.m., 4:30 p.m. and 5:49 p.m. on the same day. Breton was pinged again at 9:53 a.m. on Jan. 10 and another time at 3:10 p.m. on Jan. 11.
Breton's last activity was a Z-ping at 5:59 p.m. on Sunday, which is when the shark spends a brief enough time near the water's surface to send a signal but not enough time to pinpoint its exact location.
Breton's latest path has him moving westward, closer to Daytona Beach. It's a path the shark is familiar with as he has followed a similar path every year since he was first tagged in Scatarie Island, Nova Scotia, on Sept. 12, 2020.
Who is Breton, the great white shark?
Breton is a great white shark that OCEARCH has been tracking since he was tagged in Scatarie Island, Nova Scotia, on Sept. 12, 2020. He was the first shark tagged during OCEARCH's Expedition Nova Scotia 2020 and is named for all of the wonderful people of Cape Breton where he was tagged, according to the nonprofit.
Breton is also the fifth shark OCEARCH has tagged at Scatarie Island in the two years it worked in the area. He was named by OCEARCH sponsor SeaWorld.
Measuring in at approximately 13 feet, 3 inches in length and weighing 1,437 pounds, Breton is at the upper echelon of size for males, which are typically smaller than females, according to the Smithsonian.
Where is Breton heading?
Great white sharks are found worldwide, but they tend to prefer temperate and subtropical waters that range in temperature from 50 to 80 degrees.
Given Breton's history from the past four years, he is following his typical migration pattern, though it's much later this year. Over the next month, Breton will continue his way toward Florida's warmer waters on the eastern coast before he begins to gradually make his way north.
In 2024, Breton made his way north as far as North Carolina on Feb. 5 before deciding to turn back around, arriving just off the Orlando coast in early March.
Breton will probably return north to his normal stomping grounds in the Gulf of St. Lawrence and the Grand Banks of Newfoundland when waters warm up in the summertime.
How many sharks has OCEARCH tagged?
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.
How often do great white sharks appear in Florida?
Great white sharks are no stranger to Florida waters. In the United States, you can find great white sharks in waters stretching from Maine to the Gulf of Mexico in the Atlantic and from Alaska to California and Hawaii in the Pacific.
If you find that bit of news dismaying, rest assured that they tend not to stick around for long. Great white sharks migrate as far south as Florida and the Gulf Coast where food sources are more plentiful during the winter time.
They mostly stay away from shores, preferring to spend most of their time near continental shelf waters.
Other great white shark pings in Florida
Breton isn't the only great white shark to grace Florida waters recently.
On Dec. 11, a 10-foot, 460-pound female great white shark named Crystal was pegged far southwest of the Pensacola coast around 8:03 p.m. Crystal was last pinged in the northeast Gulf of Mexico on Jan. 3.
A 1,300-pound, 13-foot great white shark named Bob was pinged even closer off the Florida coast near Cape Canaveral at 8:11 p.m. on Jan. 4. This is the furthest south Bob has pinged since he was tagged in 2021.
Keji, a juvenile great white shark measuring more than 9 feet and weighing 578 pounds, was pinged on the far edge of the West Florida Escarpment, located between 155 and 215 miles from the coast, at 6:54 a.m. on Jan. 4. Keji's migration pattern extends as far west as Louisiana, though he tends to spend most of his time near the Florida keys when migrating.