Massive great white shark swims into uncharted waters after traveling thousands of miles

TURKS AND CAICOS — Since being tagged in September 2020, OCEARCH’s Breton, the great white shark, has traveled thousands of miles — but his latest move may be the most remarkable yet, with a March 29 ping placing the massive great white about 104 miles off Grand Turk Island in the Turks and Caicos, pushing into uncharted waters.

This tracked ping represents the farthest south an OCEARCH-tagged white shark from the western North Atlantic population has ever been documented in the West Indies.

Tagged during OCEARCH’s Expedition Nova Scotia off Scatarie Island on Sept. 11, 2020, Breton measured 13 feet, 3 inches and weighed 1,437 pounds at the time.

“His SPOT tag is still sending locations, well beyond the typical lifespan of most tags,” OCEARCH said on X regarding his new tagged location.

SPOT tags are satellite-linked devices attached to the shark’s dorsal fin that provide near real-time location data and typically only last about 5 years. 

Breton was the first shark tagged during OCEARCH’s 2020 Expedition Nova Scotia and was named in honor of the people of Cape Breton, near where he was tagged. 

He is the fifth shark OCEARCH has tagged on the Island over two years of research in the area, supporting evidence that the region may provide consistent access to white sharks. 

His name, chosen by OCEARCH partner SeaWorld, honors the people of Cape Breton and reflects the organization’s support for wildlife rescue, rehabilitation, and ocean health initiatives.

Before his southernmost trek, he was spotted off the coast of Georgia on March 3, but over the past five years, he has also been tracked throughout the North Atlantic, from New Brunswick to Newfoundland, Canada, among other locations.