A massive great white shark, referred to by researchers as “Ernst,” was recently tracked along the Mississippi Gulf Coast.
Researchers with nonprofit research firm OCEARCH have been tracking the 12-foot, 1,009-pound female for months, tagging her in the waters off Nova Scotia, Canada, in October. She has since swam more than 3,200 miles down the East Coast and around Florida into the Gulf of Mexico. From Jan. 9-22, she pinged southeast of Mobile Bay off Alabama’s coast, then continued west.
On Jan. 30, at approximately 5:32 a.m., Ernst was pinged south of Horn Island. She could still be in the area, but if her route continues, she is expected to eventually reach waters off Louisiana.
Researchers receive a ping when the shark’s dorsal fin breaches the surface of the water.
Dr. Jill Hendon, the director of the Center for Fisheries Research and Development at the University of Southern Mississippi, said during Shark Week 2025 that it is not uncommon for great whites to pass through deeper waters off Mississippi’s coast.
“We absolutely do get great whites,” Hendon said. “They typically stay a little bit further out and offshore and are primarily associated with cooler, deeper waters. Because they’re an apex predator, they’ve got a pretty hefty diet to sustain, so there aren’t going to be many of them in a specific area just because the environment can’t handle the food load.”
To track Ernst’s journey, click here.