‘Anomaly’: 1,400-pound great white shark pings offshore near Myrtle Beach

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. — A great white shark weighing over 1,400 pounds recently pinged offshore near Myrtle Beach, according to OCEARCH.

The shark, named Breton, is 13 feet long and pinged approximately 60 miles offshore, researchers said.

Data shows the shark was tagged on Sept. 12, 2020, in Nova Scotia. He was named to honor the residents of Cape Breton where he was tagged, ABC affiliate WPDE reported.

Breton has been swimming in Florida for the past two months and spotting him there is something they’re calling an anomaly, according to their tracking data.

“Breton is somewhat of an anomaly. While the rest of our actively pinging white sharks are off the Northeast United States or Atlantic Canada, Breton remains in the warm waters off the Southeast U.S.,” according to OCEARCH. “This is the latest we’ve seen one of our white sharks stay this far south in the western North Atlantic. Typically, we notice our white sharks start their migration north from mid-May to June.”

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Researchers said this is the latest they’ve seen a white shark stay in this region; as they typically start migrating north between May and June.

Coastal Carolina University shark biologist Dan Abel agrees that it’s strange but not unheard of.

“They go where there’s food. They go where they may mate; which may be an area we’re ignorant of. They go where they may have their babies, and again, this is another area we’re not certain of; and those are sort of the reasons they migrate. To eat, mate and to have babies,” he explained.

Abel said great whites have a unique ability to adapt to warmer water environments.

(Watch the video below: 13-foot Great White shark pings off Myrtle Beach coast)

13-foot Great White shark pings off Myrtle Beach coast (NCD)

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