Hilton Head gets first great white shark of season early this year. How long will sharks stay?
Hilton Head’s winter shark season arrived early this year on Nov. 30 — earlier than ever recorded by local charter captain and shark expert Chip Michalove of Outcast Sport Fishing.
“Not a giant, but it’s the earliest I’ve ever landed one,” he wrote in a post on Facebook. “Usually, we have to wait all day for one … definitely got lucky.”
Michalove and his team secured a spot satellite tag on the shark, which he named Freeman, before releasing her in healthy condition — marking the start of what he anticipates will be a busy season.
Early arrival linked to cooling waters
Great whites typically begin appearing off Hilton Head in December, but this is the first time Michalove has caught one in November. He said unusually cool water temperatures are likely part of the reason.
“Water temps are a bit down from where they typically are for this time of year, meaning we might be in for a wild winter,” he said.
Michalove pointed to the latest cold snap, with some evenings dipping near freezing. Such abrupt weather shifts can drive sharks south earlier than usual.
“A lot of times we walk the beach on Christmas Day, and it’s 65 or 70 degrees,” he said. “But to have already hit the low 30s in November … I think it may spark a big group of them to come down here earlier than normal.”
But it’s not just sharks making an early arrival. It’s happening across the board with recent whale sightings, too.
How long will these sharks stay?
Great whites typically remain off Hilton Head through March.
But as shark populations increased this year, Michalove said they may linger later into the spring — and arrive earlier in the fall.
“For the last 10 years, it’s been December through March, but it wouldn’t surprise me if they start showing up a month early and staying a month later,” he said. “Everything’s changing with the population going up.”
Even though winter is a quieter time on the water, Michalove expects to encounter between 15 and 25 great whites this season.
Other winter visitors
While most shark species near Hilton Head migrate northward in the warm months from Florida and the Bahamas, a few species travel the opposite direction.
One is the sand tiger shark, which moves toward South Carolina in late winter and spring, Michalove said.
Great whites follow a colder pattern: they stay north until dropping ocean temperatures push them south.
What beachgoers and boaters should know
Despite decades of movie-driven myth-making, Michalove emphasized that great whites are intelligent and cautious, not boat-ramming monsters.
“‘Jaws’ is my favorite movie, but these sharks are highly intelligent,” he said. “Most of the time, they swim around the boat, recognize something isn’t natural, and leave.”
Great whites have likely been passing Hilton Head’s coast for thousands of years. With the first shark of the season already spotted and tagged, the data could provide insight into changes in their patterns and habits in the Lowcountry.
Michalove expects that Freeman should send out its first satellite “ping” in the coming days or weeks and is eager to see where she travels this early in the season.
With temperatures dropping sooner than usual and wildlife arriving early across the coast, this winter could bring an active season for Hilton Head.
This story was originally published December 3, 2025 at 6:00 AM.
