880-Pound Shark Located Near Jersey Shore, Researchers Say

ASBURY PARK, NJ - Another white shark was detected off the coast of the Jersey Shore earlier this month, according to shark-tracking organization OCEARCH.

Freya, an 883-pound, 11-foot-long sub-adult female shark, was last detected on July 3 around 11:20 p.m. off the coast of Asbury Park. The day prior, she was “pinged” off the Barnegat Inlet at around 4:30 a.m.

This isn’t the first time Freya has been spotted in New Jersey waters. In July 2021, she was “pinged” near Atlantic City and Long Beach Island.

The name Freya, which translates to "noble woman," was chosen by OCEARCH's partner, Sea World.

Her name pays homage to the women researchers on both Expedition Carolinas and on all past research expeditions working to uncover shark insights related to conservation.

Freya's whereabouts can be tracked here.

Related: Shark Attack At Your NJ Beach: How Likely Is That To Happen?

Other notable sharks spotted near New Jersey this season include Tancook, a 9-foot, 7-inch juvenile white shark, located off the coast of Atlantic City on May 4, as well as Ironbound, a 1,000-pound shark.

A 12-foot Great White shark was also seen less than a mile off the coast of Townsends Inlet near Sea Isle City on June 4, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.

Factors like warming ocean temperatures have prompted an increase in shark activity and expanded northward migration patterns in areas along the New Jersey coast, experts say.

But the chances of attacks are still very slim: per the International Shark Attack file, only 15 confirmed and unprovoked shark attacks have happened in the Garden State since 1837.