(CNN) — Florida has another spring break visitor: Scot, a great white shark, was recorded swimming off the Gulf Coast.
Scot, an adult male, is 3.65 meters long and weighs 725.74 kg, according to OCEARCHthe nonprofit marine group that spotted the big fish Thursday.
Scot is the 74th great white shark tagged and released by the group in the Northwest Atlantic Ocean, OCEARCH said. They equip each animal with an electronic tracker that emits a sound every time it reaches the surface of the ocean.
Tracker records show that Scot is a dedicated traveler. He was first tagged in September 2021 in Nova Scotia, where he was named following the “welcoming and dedicated ocean-first people” there by OCEARCH partners at Sea World. Scot then traveled a total of 6,292 km up the East Coast in 119 days. He has been “chilling out” in the Florida Keys and the Gulf Coast since at least Valentine’s Day, according to OCEARCH data.
Sharks typically move inshore during the spring and summer, making April and October the busiest months for shark activity.
The waters around Florida are home to more than 13 species of sharks, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
Although iconic movies like “Jaws” have portrayed sharks as dangerous predators, attacks in Florida are actually very rare, the commission said. Humans are 30 times more likely to be struck by lightning in the state than to be bitten by a shark, and fewer than 10 people die from shark attacks each year, they said.
Both OCEARCH and the commission emphasize the crucial role of the great white shark as the top predator in its ecosystem.
“Great white sharks are essential for the functioning of ecosystems and the maintenance of biodiversity,” says OCEARCH.
They are classified as a vulnerable population by the World Wide Fund for Nature, just one step away from being endangered.
