INQUISITR.COM / News & Politics

Where In The World Is Katharine The Great White Shark?

By Dustin Wicksell
Published on: 13:15 PST, May 19, 2015

Katharine the great white shark has seemingly gone missing, as the massive predator hasn’t signaled Ocearch trackers in several weeks, leading her fans, along with the organization’s founder, to wonder where her fin will next part the waves.

Over the last few weeks, Katharine has been overshadowed by her fellow white shark, Mary Lee, as the larger animal has moved north along the coastline, becoming an internet sensation when she approached New Jersey and then Long Island. As the Inquisitr has previously reported, Mary Lee’s Twitter account now boasts over 65,000 followers, after her sojourn near New York City brought her widespread attention.

While Mary Lee has been soaking up the spotlight, however, Katharine has disappeared from Ocearch’s radar. Her last “ping,” recorded when her fin breaks the surface of the ocean, was reported on May 8 at 5:16 p.m., near the edge of the continental shelf off Orlando. In the ensuing weeks, Katharine has remained submerged, prompting even Ocearch founder Chris Fischer to wonder on Twitter where the white shark will make her presence known next.

Katharine has exhibited a remarkable coastal pattern ever since Ocearch tagged her in August, 2013, near Cape Cod. As WFLA points out, the white shark made her way around the state of Florida in her first few months, moving into the Gulf of Mexico in early 2014 before eventually returning to Cape Cod. After spending much of the later part of 2014 in Massachusetts, Katharine surprised researchers by lingering late in the season, as Space Coast Daily reports, before setting off on a direct course southward, visiting the Outer Banks and returning to Florida early this year. Since then, Katharine has spent a great deal of time off the Carolina coast, turning towards Florida once again in early May.

While Ocearch has tagged a multitude of sharks, including many great whites, Katharine is unique, Fischer notes, due to her distinctive migratory path.

“Katharine stands out because she constantly comes up finning, which means she likes to spend a lot of time on or near the surface. She is so coastal, almost living on the beaches, as well. It makes her somewhat of a media darling as she passes by. At the same time, she is giving us the most comprehensive look at her life.”

It remains to be seen where Katharine will once more breach the surface, and whether her next ping will reveal that the white shark has again rounded the tip of Florida to enter the Gulf of Mexico.

[Photo by Ryan Pierse / Getty Images]

Share this article: Where In The World Is Katharine The Great White Shark?
More from Inquisitr