Great white shark tracked to Long Island Sound for the first time as researchers say it may have been following bait fish
Researchers said on Monday, May 20, that a great white shark has been tracked to the Long Island Sound for the first time. The shark, which has been named Cabot, was seen on Monday morning off the coast of Greenwich, Connecticut.
According to OCEARCH, an organization that tracks marine animals including sharks, dolphins, and turtles, Cabot is an almost 10-feet-long "sub-adult" male that weighs close to 533lbs.
The researchers tweeted with the shark's handle @GWSharkCabot: "I heard sending a ping from the Long Island Sound had never been done before by a white shark ... so naturally I had to visit and send one off." USA Today reported that according to the organization's website, the shark was tagged by OCEARCH in Nova Scotia and was named after the explorer John Cabot.
Ever since Cabot's first ping was recorded on October 14, 2018, close to Nova Scotia, the shark has been roaming the Atlantic Ocean all the way to the south of Florida and then back up north. According to OCEARCH shark tracker’s travel log, the shark has racked up close to 4,000 miles of travel till now. Cabot was seen heading north off the coast of Delaware last week.
OCEARCH's founding chairman and expedition leader, Chris Fischer, said in an interview that it was not unheard of for great white sharks to be in the area. He said: "We were quite surprised to see this one so far to the west." Fischer also said that the shark is probably after bait fish.
Great white sharks have a very predictable migratory pattern and can reportedly move 100 to 150 miles per day. Fischer said that he expects Cabot to exit the sound and keep continuing north.
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