There’s a Great White Shark off the coast of New Jersey

We may associate shark sightings with the summer beach season, but the apex predators are swimming up and down the East Coast all year long.

We’ve told you before about OCEARCH, the shark-tracking organization that tags sharks and monitors their movements. According to OCEARCH, and reported by APP.com, a 9 foot female named Anne Bonny “pinged” off the Jersey coast on Sunday night.

Anne Bonny is 475 pounds, 9 feet 3 inches long and was originally tagged off North Carolina in April.

Here’s what OCEARCH says about the juvenile great white:

Anne Bonny is our 90th white shark tagged in the Western North Atlantic and our 2nd during Expedition Northbound. She was named after the notorious female pirate that frequented the waters around Cape Hatteras in the early 1700s, near where she was tagged. Anne Bonny was a pioneer of her time and we’re excited to see what Anne Bonny the shark will teach our scientists.

According to OCEARCH, great whites spend the winter in the warmer waters of the Southeastern US, and then migrate north to Nova Scotia; obviously, they pass by the waters off New Jersey on both their southbound and northbound treks.

Anne Bonny's tracking data has provided scientists with valuable information about great white shark migration patterns. They have learned that great white sharks can travel long distances and that they often spend time in areas that are not traditionally thought of as great white shark habitat.

Scientists are also using Anne Bonny's tracking data to study her feeding habits. They have learned that she eats a variety of fish, including bluefish, tuna, and mackerel.

Opinions expressed in the post above are those of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Bill Doyle only.

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