Huge 13ft-long great white shark spotted off coast of holiday hotspot loved by Brits | World | News

A massive great white shark, longer than the height of a double-decker bus and weighing around 1,400lbs, has been spotted deep in the depths of a popular holiday spot beloved by Brits. Researchers from the environmental monitoring group OCEARCH recorded the apex predator on March 17 just nine miles off the coast of Port Richey, Florida.

Florida is the most popular US state for UK tourists, attracting around 1.4 million British visitors each year, and Port Richey is just 40 miles north of the much-visited city of Tampa. The great white shark tracked by OCEARCH was named after British naturalist and environmental advocate Dr. Named after Jane Goodall.

Shark Goodall is an adult female and was last seen in September last year, 4,700 miles away in Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia. Its exact measurements are 1,393 lbs and 13’1″ tall. Female great whites generally grow larger than males and can reach sizes up to 16 feet long.

“Like his namesake, Goodall the shark will play an important role in the advancement of science,” Goodall said, OCEARCH reported.

Since September, Goodall has followed the route taken by most sharks off the east coast of the United States. Predators tend to head south during the winter months to patrol the warm waters around the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico.

Fox News reported that Goodall is part of a joint Atlantic Canada study that will help improve knowledge about the movement and behavior of white sharks in the vital region.

OCEARCH emphasized that Goodall represents a long-standing commitment to scientific research and conservation, serving as a symbol of how science can advance understanding and promote environmental protection.

Great white sharks are apex predators, feeding on whales, seals, fish and turtles. The largest great white ever reliably measured was a 5.94 m (19.5 ft) long specimen reported from Ledge Point, Western Australia, in 1987.