A huge 1,400-pound, 14-foot white shark has been discovered prowling the waters off the coast of Florida, with authorities warning beachgoers to be wary of the fish.
The shark, nicknamed ‘Breton’, showed up as many as four times in one day near Daytona Beach.
According to data from OSEARCHa globally renowned nonprofit organization dedicated to marine research, Breton first called its presence Wednesday morning at 10:51 a.m., but it was Thursday’s crowds that had researchers and locals in an uproar.
At 12.37pm, Breton’s tracking device recorded a ‘ping’ near the beach, followed by subsequent appearances at 3.55pm, 5.30pm and a final ping at 6.49pm.
The shark’s tag, a sophisticated tracking device mounted on its dorsal fin, signals its movements every time it surfaces, providing a rare and chilling glimpse into the habits of these ocean predators.
Breton’s fin was tagged during OSEARCH’s 2020 Nova Scotia expedition with the colossal predator named after Cape Breton, where scientists first encountered it.
Over the past four and a half years, Breton has become a legend among explorers, covering an astonishing 67,000 kilometers during his odyssey across the Atlantic Ocean.
A huge 1,400-pound, 14-foot white shark has been discovered prowling the waters off the coast of Florida, with authorities warning beachgoers to be wary of the fish
Its recent trajectory is no less impressive: in the last 72 hours alone, Breton has traveled almost 220 kilometers, west towards the coastline. It was pinged near Newfoundland last month
Its recent trajectory is no less impressive: in the last 72 hours alone, Breton has traveled almost 220 kilometers, west towards the coastline.
After leaving the icy waters of Newfoundland in November, Breton began his southward journey, presumably drawn by Florida’s balmy seas and plentiful prey.
His most recently recorded location places him near the Blake Plateau, a deep-sea area teeming with marine life that provides the perfect hunting grounds for a predator of his caliber.
Often misunderstood and feared, great white sharks are apex predators critical to marine ecosystems.
Yet their presence near popular beaches underlines the delicate balance between human activity and the natural world.
The shark’s tag, a sophisticated tracking device attached to its dorsal fin, signals its movements every time it surfaces, providing a rare and chilling glimpse into the habits of these predators
Breton’s was tagged during OSEARCH’s 2020 Nova Scotia expedition with the colossal predator named after Cape Breton, where scientists first encountered it. Over the past four and a half years, Breton has become a legend among explorers, covering 66,000 kilometers
The shark, nicknamed ‘Breton’, recently showed up four times in one day near Daytona Beach
Breton’s unusual activity – a series of four pings so close to shore – raises questions about its behavior, with researchers wondering whether it is an anomaly, or a sign of changing patterns.
Marine researchers, in conversation with Fox 35 Orlandoexplained how great white sharks in the North Atlantic migrate seasonally, leaving their cooler summer feeding grounds in search of warmer waters and richer food sources.
But Breton’s unusual activity – a series of four pings so close to shore – raises questions about its behavior, with researchers wondering whether it is an anomaly, or a sign of changing patterns.
Breton was the first great white to be tagged during the Nova Scotia expedition and he has become a symbol of OSEARCH’s mission to unravel the mysteries of these ocean predators.
His tagging, along with four others on Scatarie Island, has provided invaluable insights into great white behavior and migration.