This time on Valentine’s Day, a 1,653 pounds of Great White shark was again tracked off the coast of Florida.
It’s not candy or flowers, but a massive 1,653 pound large white shark showed his love for Florida by rising again from the Brevard County coast this time on Valentine’s Day.
The shark, who was nominated as a candidate by Ocean Researchers, tagged southeast of Palm Bay at 9:06am on February 14th, rang southeast of Palm Bay on February 14th.
The candidate is the biggest male great white shark ever tagged by Oceanarch scientists.
The 13-foot, 9-inch Ocean Predator had pinned twice from the Brevard County coast on February 10, a day before the SpaceX Falcon 9 was released by Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
Pings are released from satellite tags attached to the shark’s dorsal fin as they move over the water and send location information to the OCearch Shark tracker.
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It’s not uncommon for a great white shark to be in Florida.
Great White Sharks in the North Atlantic leave their summer feeding sites from the Atlantic Canada and New England, travelling along the East Coast for warm waters and more food sources, from Florida and the Gulf of Mexico.
This is what you need to know about Florida’s large shark candidates, the great white shark, and the Ocean Shark tracker.
The Great White Shark candidate is the biggest man tagged by research group Oceanach
The candidate was 13 feet, 9 inches at the time, weighing 1,653 pounds, and became the largest male white shark tagged by OCEARCH.
“Contender is the largest male white shark the Oceanch team has ever sampled, tagged, released and studied in the population of NW Atlantic Hhite Shark. So he’s pretty special.”
What do we know about the great White Shark candidate that has repeatedly emerged in Florida?
The candidate, an adult male white shark, was tagged by Oceanarch off the coast of Georgia Florida Coast on January 17, 2025.
“Meet our competitor, the ultimate sea warrior! This powerful white shark was tagged approximately 45 miles off the coast of Florida/GA on January 17, 2025.” , read the Shark Tracker page. “The candidate is a mature man who contributes to Ocean’s mission, Shark Research and Ocean Conservation.”
The candidate first surfaced in Florida on January 26, 2025. Shark lost three times on the Fernandina Beach Coast. Since then, I have zigzags between Amelia Island and Jacksonville Beach to Brevard County Waters before swimming south into the waters off St. Augustine in Volsia County on February 6th and 9th.
According to the tracker, the shark has traveled 322 miles since it was tagged.
The candidate is reportedly named after longtime OCEARCH partner Contender Boats.
Why are there great white sharks from Florida?
Large sharks move south as the water gets colder and food sources become rare in the Atlantic coast of the Canada and around Cape Cod, New England.
Oceanarch experts said during the warm months these apex predators are taking advantage of the abundant seal populations and abundant prey resources found in these areas. As temperatures drop and food sources decrease, white sharks are caused by a combination of lower water temperatures and changes in time during the day, encouraging southward movement.
Think of them as shark snowbirds.
Most of them tend to move away from beaches in the waters of the continental shelf, Hutel said.
Where did you find a great white shark in Florida?
The great white shark is found in all the oceans, but is far from the cold waters of the Antarctic and the Arctic Circle. They can be found around the Florida coast, from the state’s east coast to the bay.
How many great white sharks are there?
There is no absolute data on the world group of white sharks. Estimates vary widely from 3,000 to over 10,000.
According to NOAA Fisheries:
The stock status of the white shark population in US waters is unknown and the stock assessment has not been completed. Research by NOAA fisheries scientists is currently not planned for inventory assessments in the Atlantic. Scientists have shown that the rich trends are increasing in the Northwest Atlantic as regulations protecting them were first implemented in 1990. The population of white sharks in the Pacific Ocean appears to be on the rise, and there is no risk of being at risk in US waters.
What do great white sharks eat?
According to NOAA Fisheries, white sharks have a diverse and opportunistic diet of fish, invertebrates and marine mammals.
The boy’s white shark mainly eats bottom fish, small sharks and rays, school fish and squid.
Large white sharks often gather around seals and sea lion colonies, feeding them, and sometimes removing dead whales.
Great White Shark Facts
Weight: Up to 4,500 pounds Length: Approximately 4 feet (at birth) and up to 21 feet (adult) Lifespan: 70 years or bone fracture: bycatch, habitat impact, overfishing. According to NOAA Fisheries, white sharks are a species (not permitted to be retained) that is prohibited in all US waters and fisheries. There is no commercial fishing for white sharks, but they are sometimes caught as bycatch.region. Instead, they tear it into pieces and swallow it completely. Sharks have infinitely regenerated teeth and infinitely regenerated. Smell: According to Oceanarch, the great white shark can smell a drop of blood in an Olympic-sized swimming pool. You can hunt in the light of light, at dusk, at dusk, or at deep seas, Ocean reported. You can also identify changes in water vibrations and sense movement to find prey.
Ocean Shark Tracker: Follow the Great White Shark in Florida.
The great white sharks of the North Atlantic travel south in winter to Florida and the Gulf Coast, looking for warmer water and more food sources.
Oceanarch tagged 125 white sharks. Many of them are along the East Coast and Nova Scotia.
You can follow their journey on the Ocean Shark Tracker website or by downloading the Ocean Shark Tracker app.
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