Massive 1,400-pound great white shark Breton raises questions after it pings off Florida coast
Most sharks are north around Cape Cod or into Atlantic Canada. Breton's latest pings show him hanging out off the coast of eastern Florida, where not many sharks frequent at this point in the season.
Breton the white shark is tagged off coast of Nova Scotia
Video from Sept. 2020 shows OCEARCH tagging an adult male white shark named Breton. Breton weighed more than 1,400 pounds and was 13 feet long at his tagging.
While most sharks are hauling north toward cooler waters and abundant food sources during the peak of summer, great white shark Breton is taking an entirely different route and piquing scientists' curiosity.
Breton, an adult white shark weighing more than 1,400 pounds at the time of his tagging, has been tracked by OCEARCH since Sept. 2020, when he was tagged off Scatarie Island, Nova Scotia.
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Breton the shark being released in 2020 after his evaluation and tagging. (OCEARCH / FOX Weather)
When looking at the OCEARCH Global Shark Tracker, most sharks are north around Cape Cod or into Atlantic Canada. Breton's latest pings show him hanging out off the coast of eastern Florida, where not many sharks frequent at this point in the season.
This has scientists wondering why, as the shark continues heading south into much warmer waters.
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During one of Breton's most recent pings, scientists noted a sea surface temperature of 87 degrees, which is very warm for a white shark.
Breton's latest ping on July 20, 2026 off the eastern coast of Florida. (OCEARCH / FOX Weather)
"Warm surface water doesn't necessarily mean unsuitable habitat," OCEARCH Senior Data Scientist John Tyminski said. "Breton likely has access to much cooler water at depth."
Tyminski explained that white sharks like Breton make deep dives, sometimes hundreds of meters deep, into cooler waters.
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As to why Breton is making these moves? There's no way to know for sure, but scientists suggest that the shark is chasing pelagic fish that stay in large schools down off Florida's coast.
"Sharks don't always follow the rulebook," Tyminski said. "Breton's unexpected journey reminds us that the factors driving white shark movements are complex, and we're still uncovering the secrets behind these remarkable migrations."
OCEARCH is a global nonprofit organization dedicated to researching and protecting sharks, whales, sea turtles and other ocean life, tagging these animals to track and study their migration habits and behaviors from afar.
Breton swims by the camera during his tagging in Sept. 2020. (OCEARCH / FOX Weather)
Keep up with Breton and more than 400 other ocean animals in real time using the free OCEARCH Global Shark Tracker app.