As college students gather on Florida's sandy beaches, researchers are tracking that record-breaking predators are also heading south towards the holidays.
A 13-foot, 9-inch, 1,653-pound male great shark is being tracked off the coast of Florida According to Oceanch. As of Thursday morning, the candidate was pinged just a few miles from Sebastian and leads south.
“The candidates are making a major addition to ongoing research efforts in the Western North Atlantic to understand the reproductive cycle and timing of adult white sharks, especially during the winter months,” OCEAch chief scientist and veterinarian Dr. Harley Newton said in a statement in FOX News Digital.
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Photo: See moments when candidates are tagged by researchers
Researchers believe that a competitor called the “Ultimate Ocean Warrior” is the largest shark to be tracked by the organization after being tagged when it crossed the Florida Georgia border in January. This group also acquires biological samples for analysis, tracking the movement of the contender.
“The spot tag deployed on the candidate provides valuable real-time data for around five years, helping us track his movements and understand his transition patterns,” Ocearch said.
The candidate is nearly 14 feet long, but the Great White Shark grows to 21 feet long and weighs 4,500 pounds. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Scientists also look to even bigger whites as they descend the coastline. Dold, an 11-foot, 761-pound shark, was last seen heading south through Hobsound, about 100 miles ahead of the candidate.
“Dold is named in honor of Dr. Christopher Dold of Seaworld, a key figure in marine protection,” Oceanarch said in a statement. “Dr. Dold has influenced the Oceanch Collaborative Science model and helped bring experts together to advance Shark Research.”
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Dold, an 11-foot, 761-pound Great White shark, is also being tracked by researchers as he heads down the Florida coast. (ocearch)
If predators continue their current path, competitors and dold will soon pass Fort Lauderdale and Miami before closing out the southernmost tip of Sunshine State, but the track is not guaranteed.
“The data obtained from the tags provide insight into the movement and behavior of these animals,” Taylor Chapple, founder of Oregon State University's Big Fish Lab, told Fox News Digital. “This is important to understand their role in the ocean, similar to how we track Serengeti lions and how they control wild people. They also help us identify important places in our lives, such as important feeding areas and nursery where babies grow up.”
According to Chapple, great white sharks are usually tagged using DART to attach trackers while the animals are swaying freely around the boat. Tags are completely safe for sharks, but can also provide important information to scientists.
“The tag provides depth, temperature, and acceleration data, which can reveal details about hunting behavior, diving habits and energy use,” Wildlife Biologist, host of the discovery channel Shark Week, told Fox News Digital.
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According to Oceanarch, Dold is named in honor of Dr. Christopher Dold of Seaworld, a key figure in marine conservation. (ocearch)
As large marine animals approach the Florida spring break destinations, experts emphasize that they are tracking shark attacks that are far lower than average worldwide.
Last year, there were 47 reports of unprovoked shark bites and seven confirmed deaths worldwide. According to the data Released by the Florida Museum of Natural History. Of the 28 bites reported in the US in 2024, only one was fatal.
“If you've been to the ocean, there's a good chance that the sharks have met you — you didn't know that,” Chapple told Fox News Digital. “If a shark wants to eat a person, there are far fewer surfers underwater. We're not on their menu.”
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Thousands of college students are expected to hit the sand along Florida coastline in the coming weeks to celebrate spring break, but with both sharks staying about 40 miles from the beach, candidates and drops are not expected to put dampers on their plans.
To keep you safe, Researchers suggest Swimmers should avoid wearing shiny gems, refraining from swimming at dawn or dusk, and avoiding areas where fishermen are located.
“Shark encounters are extremely rare,” Chapple said. “You're much more likely to die from falling coconuts or selfies than shark attacks on your tropical vacation.”
