A 1,400-pound great white shark was seen just off Myrtle Beach this week, causing some anxiety among residents.
The shark location service OCSearch, a non-profit organization, located the share, Breton, 60 miles offshore. It measures 13 feet in length. The shark was first tagged in Nova Scotia on September 12, 2020.
1,400-pound great white shark spotted near Myrtle Beach https://t.co/F3xBnWV14d
— The Google (@thegoogle93) August 5, 2022
Data from two months ago showed that the shark is capable of traveling far despite his large stature and heavyweight.
“Breton is a bit of an anomaly. OCEARCH stated that Breton is still in warm waters off the Southeast US, while the rest of our active pinging white sharks remain off the Northeast United States and Atlantic Canada. “This is the most recent time we have seen a white shark migrate this far south in Western North Atlantic. Our white sharks usually migrate north between mid-May and June.
Mature male #whiteshark Breton, who was 13ft long & weighed 1,437lbs at the time of tagging, just pinged in approximately 60 miles offshore near #MyrtleBeach, SC. After spending his June and July off of Florida, has he finally started his journey north? #FactsOverFear #sharks pic.twitter.com/qlx9akfP1h
— OCEARCH (@OCEARCH) August 2, 2022
According to the ocean tracker, the Myrtle Beach region sees around 20 types of shakers throughout the year. Breton, although he is large is not the largest shark that can be pinged in this area.
A Myrtle Beach resident saw a great white shark weighing 3,400 pounds and measuring 16 feet in length. According to WPDE, the sea creature was found 2,500 feet offshore from Myrtle Beach.
OCEARCH stated that great whites are rarely seen in the region at this time of the year, as many migrate north between May-June.
“How Breton handles the warm water temperatures, or if he has finally started his migratory journey [north] is one of the questions that our science team is currently asking,” OCEARCH stated. “We will be closely following Breton’s movements over the next few days.”
Their website allows you to track Breton’s movements across the oceans.
