Great White Shark Spotted Off Jersey Shore During Southern Migration

JERSEY SHORE, NJ — It's the time of year where sharks are migrating south for the winter, and one such great white has already been spotted.

Dubbed "Jekyll" by shark tracker organization OCEARCH, this 8-foot shark was first pinged off the coast of Long Beach Island late Wednesday night. A ping means that the shark's dorsal fin broke surface long enough for his tag to be picked up by satellite, giving researchers his location.

While still about 40 to 50 miles off the shore, this shark is the first during the southern migration to be spotted inshore. There have been two other sharks noted migrating south, but they have stayed far off the coast.

Jekyll pinged again Thursday afternoon as he headed further south, this time off the coast of Atlantic City. You can track his current location here.

Jekyll (named for Jekyll Island, Georgia, where he was found, not the literary character) is a juvenile white shark measuring 8 feet, 8 inches and weighing 395 pounds, according to OCEARCH. He was first tagged by the organization last December.

The shark was also pinged off Sea Isle City this past May, as the creatures made their journey north.

According to OCEARCH, this Western North Atlantic White Shark Study is the most comprehensive study of white sharks in the world.