The research group Ocearch that attaches tracking devices to Great White sharks pinged a 16-foot, 3,456 lb Great White off the South Carolina coast, one mile off the coast of Pawleys Island.
Mary Lee is what the researchers are calling her, and she has been moving northward along the South Carolina coast since last night and was just east of Pawleys Island at 1:04 p.m. Tuesday.
Mary Lee was initially tagged near Cape Cod in mid-September then traveled southward along the east coast through October. For much of November, Mary Lee has been spending time off the Georgia and South Carolina coast.
Every time the fin breaks the surface, a signal is transmitted to a satellite which shows the sharks location.
The creator of Ocearch tracking, Chris Fischer, says for the first time in history, we are solving a 400 million year old secret.
"For people who are like, should we be scared there's a 16 and a half foot white shark 4 and a half miles off Myrtle Beach, you know, the answer is no. She's always been there, it's just now for the first time in history, we know she's there and that's a fantastic thing for everyone to share at the same moment," Fischer said.
Fischer also stated they can find out where Mary Lee feeds, breeds and gives birth.
Ocearch is also taking cultures from the bacteria of the shark's teeth when they tag them.
This bacteria is what causes infections in the limbs of people they bite, which could lead to the loss of the limb.
By studying the bacteria, they home to come up with an antibiotic to counter the infection.
For the entire interview with Chris Fischer, click here.
Click here to track Mary Lee's progress
