How a wandering white shark’s epic journey could provide clues for protecting them
As sharks go, LeeBeth is something like a long-haul truck driver with gills and giant teeth.
Swimmers at the beach may not be excited to see the 4.3-meter white shark, but scientists tracking LeeBeth’s movements are happy that the big fish’s epic journey could yield valuable clues to help the species. And they’re curious to see where she goes next.
White sharks, often called great white sharks, were made famous by the hit movie “Jaws.” They roam the ocean in search of their favorite food, marine mammals, and were once hunted without discrimination. Designated a protected species in 1997, some scientists believe that growing seal populations in parts of the Atlantic Ocean are helping the sharks.
Since receiving her tracking device near South Carolina in December, LeeBeth has traveled more than 2,000 miles (3,200 kilometers) south into the Gulf of Mexico, the scientists tracking her said Monday. They watched as she made history in late February by traveling further into the Gulf than any white shark previously tracked. A signal showed her off the coast of Matamoros, Mexico, just across the border from South Padre Island, Texas.
The presence of the shark this far west indicates that this part of the Gulf of Mexico could also be important for other white sharks, said Megan Winton, a senior scientist at the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy, based in Chatham, Massachusetts. International cooperation is important to protect sharks, which are recovering their populations worldwide after decades of suffering from overfishing, she said.
“We don’t know how many white sharks travel this far west, but it’s a good indication that they do,” Winton said. “Only a handful of sharks have been tracked west of the Mississippi.”
The Atlantic White Shark Conservancy is working with the Massachusetts state government to tag white sharks, and more than 300 have been tagged so far. Thousands more have been tagged by other organizations around the world, Winton said.
The conservancy worked with fishing charter Outcast Sport Fishing of Hilton Head, South Carolina, to tag LeeBeth.
Chip Michalove, owner of Outcast, said LeeBeth proved to be an advantageous shark to tag because she had sent back more signals from the tracking device than most. The tracker sends a signal when the shark breaks the water surface.
“Not only one of the largest sharks we’ve caught, but she’s also the best pinging shark,” Michalove said. “We definitely hit a home run with LeeBeth.”
The last time LeeBeth checked in was on March 7, when tracking data showed her about 100 miles off the coast of Galveston, Texas.