Why is There a Shark in New Jersey?

01/31/2013

Check out this range map for a great white shark that's been cruising up and down the northern East Coast. A research group called OCEARCH Shark Trackers tagged a large female great white shark and have been tracking her movements.

You might think it odd for a great white to be swimming off the Jersey Shore, but the reality is that there's nothing odd about this at all.  

Photo by manoellemos via Flickr Creative Commons.

While the great whites of Australia, South Africa and the California coast hog up all the media attention, there have always been great whites in the Atlantic.  In fact, the shark attacks that are said to have inspired the book Jaws (and ultimately the movie) happened in New Jersey.

See my TV appearances and ADOPT a great white shark with National Wildlife Federation.

Comments

[Raymond Vagell]

There were concurrent events that inspired the movie Jaws, a Great White attack on the beach of Jersey shores and most probably a Bull shark attack inland in Matawan, NJ. The book "12 Nights of Terror" by Fernicola is an interesting read.

Interestingly enough, the movie "Jaws", though inspired by these events, were filmed in Martha's Vineyard, MA.

[teachdogs]

Actually Fernicola contends a Great White was most probably responsible for all the attacks, off shore and inland. A more realistic read is "Closer to Shore" by Michael Capuzzo. His view supports the idea of the Bull Shark inland.