1,200-pound great white shark spotted off the coast of Florida | Florida

A huge great white shark was recently tracked off the coast of Florida.

According to OCEARCH, an organization that tracks sharks, the tiny “Maple” weighs about 1,200 pounds and is 11 feet, 7 inches tall.

Although Maple’s dimensions may surprise some, the Smithsonian states that average white females are larger than average males at 16 feet long, while males typically only grow to 13 feet. The great white was named after an element of the flag of Canada, the famous maple leaf. She has a visible wound on the left side of her body, which experts believe is from another shark trying to show dominance.

According to the OCEARCH Facebook post, the great white was found southeast of St. George’s Island on Monday. First tagged in Canada in 2021, Maple had traveled the waters of the Gulf of Mexico and around the east coast before heading to Florida, as highlighted by tracking data from OCEARCH.

Maple the great white shark underwater.

OCEARCH / Chris Ross

Other great whites have been spotted near the Florida area, with a 715-pound male named Tancook by OCEARCH who was found off Jacksonville on Tuesday and a 12-foot great white spotted in the Florida Keys and later tracking off the coast. of Naples, according to OCEARCH’s conversation with CBS Miami. According to NOAA, great white sharks are also most likely to be found in the region from Alaska to California, Hawaii and Mexico.

“It is very important that people visiting Florida waters be aware of their surroundings, understand the relative risks, and be educated on various shark-related issues such as behavior, biology and fishing,” said Brent Winner. , scientist for the FWC.

Travelers may have their eyes on Florida for spring break and summer, but so can the sharks. According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), sharks can be found closest to shore between the months of April and October.

Maple fin, easy to spot in sea water.

OCEARCH

While this may sound scary to many shark-fearful Florida tourists, the FWC actually explains that sharks should be afraid of us. Fewer than 10 people are killed by sharks each year, while fishing kills around 100 million sharks a year. In Florida, 99% of shark attacks do not end in swimmer deaths.

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