A juvenile great white shark, Brookes, was spotted off the coast of the Florida panhandle on Sunday.
The newly tagged shark pinged between Mexico Beach and St. Joseph Peninsula.
According to OCEARCH, a global nonprofit organization dedicated to researching and protecting sharks, whales, sea turtles and other ocean life, Brookes traveled more than 5,000 miles to reach the Gulf — an area where great white sharks usually frequent during the winter months.
“The Gulf plays an important role in the annual migration of these animals, and continued research will help us better understand the environmental factors that influence where sharks travel and how they use these habitats,” OCEARCH Senior Data Scientist John Tyminski said.
In a recent study released by OCEARCH, scientists discovered that the Gulf serves as a regular winter habitat for great white sharks migrating thousands of miles from Atlantic Canada and the northeastern U.S.
Brookes, the young great white shark, getting tagged in Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia, in September 2025. OCEARCH By tracking the movements of 92 great white sharks at all the stages of life, they found that the animals typically migrate to this region for the warm waters and abundant food.
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“For years we suspected white sharks were using the Gulf more than people realized,” Chris Fischer, founder and expedition leader of OCEARCH, said. “This research confirms the Gulf is a regular winter habitat for this population and highlights how connected the ecosystems of the Atlantic Ocean truly are.”
The shark traveled over 5,000 miles to reach the Gulf. @OCEARCH / X Brookes was tagged in Nova Scotia by Tancook Islands Marine Field Station in collaboration with OCEARCH last September to help scientists understand shark migration patterns better.
She is over 8 feet long and weighs more than 450 pounds, according to OCEARCH.
