Great White Shark’s Journey Through Gulf Waters

A large great white shark has made headlines after patrolling the waters off Alabama, and more recently, it was spotted near the coast of Mississippi. The shark, a 12-foot, 1,000-pound female known as Ernst, was first detected around mid-January near Gulf Shores, Alabama, thanks to signals from a satellite tag.

According to researchers, this location marks one of the furthest points west where great white sharks have been observed, which has raised eyebrows given the unusual behavior. The ping from the tag indicated that Ernst was near the Chandelier Islands, off the Louisiana coast, a spot not typically frequented by these sharks.

Ernst was tagged by the ocean research group OCEARCH in Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia, in October 2025. Following her tagging, she embarked on an extensive coastal migration, covering thousands of miles from Canadian waters down the eastern United States.

“She went directly from Nova Scotia to lower Maine, continuing down the coast, wrapping around Miami and the Florida Keys, and even crossing the Florida Panhandle,” noted OCEARCH founder Chris Fisher.

Fisher further highlighted the significance of Ernst’s westward migration, which is quite rare for great whites in the Gulf region. “She has chosen to navigate toward one of the more isolated areas on Earth. For most sharks, this kind of stretch is quite ambitious,” he remarked.

Great white sharks are known to be selective about their routes, often traveling through areas abundant in marine life. “It’s rather uncommon to see her staying so close to shore over there. It’s a positive sign for the local ecosystem, indicating plenty of life and biodiversity in that region,” Fisher added.

As of February 1, Ernst’s movements showed her sounding near Horn Island, Mississippi, at around 6 a.m. on January 30. The satellite tag allows researchers to track her when her dorsal fin breaks the surface of the water.

Ernst’s ongoing journey is more than just a marine phenomenon; it symbolizes the connection and teamwork in advancing ocean research. Interestingly, OCEARCH also tracks other great white sharks using satellite tags across the Atlantic and Gulf waters.

In related news, the largest male great white shark recorded in the Atlantic, named Contender, has returned to Florida waters after his own extensive travels, highlighting the complex dynamics of shark migrations.