3 great white sharks are now swimming off the SC coast. Here’s where & how to watch
Several great white sharks have recently pinged off the South Carolina coast, according to the latest tracking data from OCEARCH, an ocean research nonprofit that tracks hundreds of marine animals.
Many great white sharks in the west Atlantic make their way south to spend the winter months off the Carolinas, Georgia and Florida waters.
Of all the sharks tracked by OCEARCH in the last few days, three have recently pinged off the South Carolina coast, stretching from the Grand Strand all the way down to the Lowcountry.
Where are these sharks swimming?
Among the most notable is Webster, one of the largest of the group. The adult male white shark, weighing 1,008 pounds and measuring 12 feet, 2 inches, pinged near Charleston at 8:25 a.m. on Jan. 6.
Webster was first tagged on Sept. 29 in Nova Scotia and has spent much of the fall swimming off South Carolina waters. His previous ping was just north of the state line on Dec. 2.
Also drawing attention is Cayo, a 10-foot-3-inch juvenile female white shark weighing 689 pounds, who last pinged around 1 a.m. on Jan. 7 outside Myrtle Beach.
Cayo was first tagged on July 29, and her previous ping off South Carolina was on Dec. 15 near Georgetown.
Lastly, Bella, had her most recent ping on Dec. 29 near Georgetown. Bella is a juvenile female, measuring 10 feet, 2 inches and weighing 729 pounds. She was tagged on July 18, also near Nova Scotia.
Have there been other shark sightings in SC this winter?
Back in December, a few more of these sharp-toothed friends were pinged swimming out in the Palmetto State’s waters, bringing the state’s total number of visitors this winter to seven. Recent updates included:
Cross, a 9-foot-1-inch, 377-pound juvenile male, last pinged near Myrtle Beach on Dec. 28. Swimming nearby, Brookes, an 8-foot-10-inch, 456-pound juvenile female, had her last ping near Georgetown on Dec. 28, too.
Nori, an 8-foot-1-inch juvenile female weighing 423 pounds, last pinged near Edisto Island on Dec. 22 after previously pinging off near Georgetown on Nov. 30. Nori began her southbound journey in early October.
The biggest of the bunch, Baker, a 12-foot-10-inch white shark weighing 1,429 pounds, had his last ping near Charleston on Dec. 11.
Seasonal migration continues
White sharks commonly migrate south during the colder months, following food sources and warmer waters along the Atlantic coast. South Carolina’s coastline often sees increased great white shark activity from winter through March.
Some areas of the Palmetto State got an early sighting of the great whites this year, too, when one was spotted on Nov. 30 off of Hilton Head Island.
Shark populations have also increased this year, meaning that more sightings and pings may be on the way.
Folks can continue to keep an eye on Webster, Bella, Cayo and all the other South Carolina-bound sharks on OCEARCH’s online tracker.
