A female great white shark has been spotted twice off the coast of Alabama in the past few weeks, according to researchers at the University of South Alabama.
The shark, now known as “Miss Para” after one of America’s mascots, is about 8 feet long and would be about 15 years old based on its size. Researchers say she won’t mature until she’s at least 30 years old, as great white sharks can live more than 50 years.
She was spotted twice while researchers were monitoring fish activity near an artificial reef area in Alabama, according to the university.
The first sighting occurred in mid-April using underwater cameras during a survey by researchers from Mississippi State University and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, and the second sighting occurred ten days later. By May 3, she was no longer found in the area.
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A female great white shark about eight feet long was spotted twice off the coast of Alabama last month. (University of South Alabama)
Dr. Sean Powers, dean of the Stokes School of Marine and Environmental Sciences, said it is rare to see great white sharks off the coast of Alabama because they tend to live in cooler waters off New England and California. . Sometimes they are found in the deeper parts of the Gulf of Mexico.
The coral reef where Miss Paola was found is only about 150 feet deep, marking the first sighting recorded by scientists in the area.
“Over the past 10 years, we have surveyed more than 1,000 artificial and natural reef areas to provide scientific data to assist Alabama in managing its offshore fisheries,” said Powers. “This is our first documented sighting of a white shark.”
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The university said great white sharks are easily identifiable by their unique scar patterns, often on their heads and fins. (University of South Alabama)
The recent sightings of great white sharks reportedly off the coast of Alabama—one was caught by a fisherman and another washed up dead on a beach in the Florida Panhandle—lead researchers to believe the species is in the northern Gulf of Mexico It may be more common than they think.
White sharks have unique scarring patterns, particularly on their heads and fins, which make them easy to identify, and scientists often give them names to track their movements, the university said.
Miss Parra had never been recorded before, which allowed the university to name her. Researchers at the school are already tracking a 12-foot-long tiger shark named South Jaw, also named after the American mascot.
Based on Miss Pawla’s figure, her age is estimated to be about 15 years. (University of South Alabama)
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“Alabama has a rich marine ecosystem of which sharks are an important part,” the university said in a news release, adding that great white sharks are federally protected and must be released alive if caught.
