12‑ft, 1,009‑lb Great White 'Ernst' Pings Off Southwest Florida After 2,600‑Mile Migration

A 12‑foot, 1,009‑pound female great white shark nicknamed Ernst has been pinging off Southwest Florida after completing a migration of more than 2,600 miles from Nova Scotia. Scientists with OCEARCH tagged and collected biological samples from the sub‑adult shark in Mahone Bay on Oct. 4 during collaborative research with the Tancook Islands Marine Field Station.

Tracking Ernst

Ernst’s satellite tag first recorded a location off the Everglades National Park coast on Nov. 18. The shark then moved north, pinging near Marco Island and Naples, before returning to surface southwest of Marco Island. Her most recent transmission was received on Dec. 9 at 7:47 p.m. EST. As of Dec. 10, the tracker shows Ernst has covered about 2,657 miles and recorded 17 pings in Southwest Florida waters.

What The Tagging Revealed

OCEARCH uses satellite and acoustic tags plus biological sampling to map movements and assess health, diet, contaminant exposure and genetic links to other populations. Ernst was measured at 12 feet and weighed 1,009 pounds at the time of tagging.

Why The Name 'Ernst'?

The name was chosen by Team Tancook in honor of the ferry William G. Ernst, which has connected Big and Little Tancook Islands to the mainland since 1982. OCEARCH says the name celebrates the ferry’s role as a lifeline for island residents and the teamwork that supports coastal communities and ocean research.

About OCEARCH And Research Context

OCEARCH is a nonprofit organization dedicated to studying ocean giants. The group has been researching Western North Atlantic white sharks along the U.S. East Coast, the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Canada for more than a decade and has tagged roughly 140 white sharks. Jacksonville University has served as OCEARCH’s academic home for nearly a decade, and the organization plans to locate a new headquarters facility in Mayport, Florida.

White Shark Biology, Status And Conservation

There is no precise global census for white sharks; estimates range from about 3,000 to more than 10,000. NOAA Fisheries reports that the stock status for white shark populations in U.S. waters is unknown and that no formal Atlantic stock assessments are currently planned. Still, NOAA research indicates abundance in the northwest Atlantic has increased since protections enacted in the 1990s.

White sharks are opportunistic predators. Juveniles feed mainly on bottom fish, small sharks and rays, and schooling fish and squid. Larger adults frequently forage around seal and sea lion colonies and will scavenge whale carcasses. Typical species data: birth length near 4 feet, adults up to about 21 feet, maximum reported weights near 4,500 pounds, and potential lifespans of 70 years or more. Major threats include bycatch, habitat impacts and overfishing; white sharks are a prohibited species in all U.S. waters (no retention allowed).

Sensory Abilities And Migration

OCEARCH notes that great whites possess exceptional senses: a powerful sense of smell, low‑light vision for dawn and dusk hunting, electroreception to detect weak electrical fields from prey and mechanoreception to sense water vibrations. North Atlantic white sharks commonly migrate as far south as Florida and the Gulf during winter months in search of warmer water and food.

To follow Ernst and other tagged sharks, visit the OCEARCH Global Shark Tracker website or download the OCEARCH app.