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A Great White Shark is about to make history as the first of its species on record to cross from one side of the Atlantic to the other – and it may well be paying us a visit soon.
 
With our large seal populations and temperate seas, it’s unlikely to be the first Great White to drop by. Indeed in recent years there have been several sightings of Great Whites off our shores, with one in September last year near Looe in southern Cornwall. However, this individual shark has thrilled marine biologists with the sheer distance it’s travelled in its oceanic explorations. Fitted with a satellite tag a year ago near Florida, the female Great White (affectionately nickname “Lydia”), has travelled over 19,000 miles since her tracking device was first attached and is now approximately 800 miles off the coast of Cornwall.
 
Great Whites (Carcharodon carcharias) are known for their epic migrations of thousands of miles, with another individual named Nicole travelling from South Africa to Australia and back in 2004 – a journey of over 12,400 miles. But Lydia has so far broken all records and defied the expectations of even the most seasoned scientists. It’s impossible to predict where she might go next, but at over 15 feet long and weighing over 2,000 pounds, Lydia is sure to be a sensation if she’s spotted no matter where she goes.
 
However there’s sure to be plenty of notice – in addition to the tag, researchers attached an accelerometer to her fin which enables them to follow every movement and tilt of the shark's body. Lydia has even gained a measure of well-deserved internet fame amongst shark fans, and they can even track her movements themselves along with those of other sharks using Ocearch's online Global Shark Tracker at www.ocearch.org