A 16-foot great white shark has been a winter visitor to the Cape Hatteras National Seashore in the past few days.
The shark’s tracking beacon showed that it may have crossed through Ocracoke Inlet in Pamlico Sound on Monday afternoon and then headed north towards Hatteras. Today the 3,456-pound fish was hanging out off Cape Hatteras on a journey north.
The animal was caught and tagged with the beacon on Sept. 17 of last year off Cape Cod by researchers for OCEARCH, a non-profit organization that facilitates the understanding and conservation of sharks, the ocean’s giants.
The female great white was given the name Mary Lee by expedition leader Chris Fisher. It was named, according to the website, after his mother.
“My parents have done so much,” Fischer said. “I was waiting and waiting for a special shark to name after her and this is truly the most historic and legendary fish I have ever been a part of and it set the tone for Cape Cod.”
Mary Lee is one of 36 sharks being tracked by OCEARCH. The group hopes that collecting the date will help with its conservation efforts.
Since Mary Lee was tagged, the big fish has traveled south to Florida and is now heading back north again.
CLICK HERE TO TRACK MARY LEE and other tagged great white sharks.
