Authorities are ringing the alarm bells about a great white shark lurking off the beach in Florida. In fact, it appears that the animal was stalking the shoreline.
Officials clocked the fish at 1,400 pounds and 13 feet. It's a mighty beast that could have easily tipped the scales on the cover of Jaws. It's not something that you want to tangle with. So it's no wonder that officials are warning beachgoers to practice caution while on the beach. They found that the great white shark revisited Daytona Beach four times in a single day.
They've nicknamed the shark Breton. According to OSEARCH, a globally renowned nonprofit dedicated to marine research, "Breton is 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. Breton is the 5th shark OCEARCH has tagged at Scatarie Island in two years of working in the area, providing evidence that the region could offer predictable access to white sharks. Breton's name was chosen by our partner SeaWorld, a leader in wildlife rescue, rehabilitation, and vital ocean health initatives like OCEARCH's"
Great White Shark Attacks
The organization pinged the great white shark's location on Wednesday near the beach. It returned several times in the afternoon and evening. It first appeared at 12:37 p.m. then 3:55pm, 5:30pm, and 6:49 p.m. The shark journeyed from Newfoundland in November to Florida. Officials speculate that prey may have played a role in its migration.
Scientists are questioning what the animal's obsession with the beach means. Was it an anomaly or signs of shifting patterns in the species? Officials in Florida have to be on guard. There's more shark attacks in the state of Florida than anywhere else.
"Beach safety in Australia is second to none. They're fantastic," said Joe Miguez, a doctoral student in the Florida Program for Shark Research. "However, if you go to remote regions where beach safety isn't in place, there is a higher risk of a fatal shark attack. This is because when an attack happens and there is beach safety, you can get a tourniquet on sooner and save the person's life. So, the solution isn't to not surf. It's to surf in areas where there's a good beach safety program in place."
