Great White Shark being tracked by GPS draws shape of Great White Shark
Gabriella Ferlita
Featured Image Credit: Shutterstock/@knappersmate/Twitter
In the latest segment of natural phenomena, a great white shark which is tracked by GPS has drawn the shape of a great white shark in the water.
Last located in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence, the 652 kg predatory adult fish – named and tagged as Breton by the ocean research group OCEARCH – was spotted swimming in a pattern that was comparable to his own species.
Shark fanatic and writer Jeff Barnaby pointed out the incredible moment on Twitter with a screenshot of the creature’s path and captioned the image: “A shark fitted with a GPS tracker drew a shark in the Atlantic.”
The 13-foot shark appeared to trace a shark shape along the East Coast of the United States before heading further into the Atlantic Ocean.
Sounds about right! pic.twitter.com/15olgY2m2A
— Finley Knapman (@knappersmate) September 18, 2022
However, as one Twitter commenter, Katie, rightly pointed out, the GPS tracker doesn’t trace ‘the shark’s location constantly, but rather at set intervals like every few hours or days’.
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Therefore, the dots which show Breton swimming in such an impressive shape are a reflection of these checkpoint intervals. “The lines just connect the dots so you know what order they go in,” Katie added.
Other onlookers were just as impressed with the shark's path, with one person commenting: "I didn't realize a single shark traveled across a range this wide!"
"Apex predator-level scientist trolling," someone else added of the shark's almost artistic venture.
In 2020, OCEARCH fitted him with a satellite tagger so as to track and protect the otherwise endangered species.
According to the research site, "Breton was the first shark tagged during OCEARCH's Expedition Nova Scotia 2020 and is named for all of the wonderful people of Cape Breton where he was tagged.
"Breton is the 5th shark OCEARCH has tagged at Scatarie Island in two years of working in the area, providing evidence that the region could offer predictable access to white sharks. Breton's name was chosen by our partner SeaWorld, a leader in wildlife rescue, rehabilitation, and vital ocean health initiatives like OCEARCH's."
The non-profit organisation aims to help scientists collect previously unattainable data in the sea 'while open sourcing our research and explorations.'
"Open sourcing and inclusion at every level, and in real-time, allows the world to participate in our projects while being aware of the developing science."
In fact, ocean lovers can donate to be in with a chance of winning 'the trip of a lifetime' to meet a white shark on an upcoming ocean research expedition with the organisation.