(NEW YORK) — Beachgoers planning out their summer swims on the East Coast may take a moment to consider the yearly arrival of a famed ocean predator.
A juvenile white shark named Nori has been coasting its way north along the eastern seaboard and pinged a shark-tracking system off the coasts of New Jersey and New York last week.
According to OCEARCH, a nonprofit tracking shark movements, Nori is “the first tagged white shark on the Global Shark Tracker to begin this year’s seasonal northward jump.”
Nori, an eight-foot ten-inch female pinged the tracking system off the coast of south New Jersey on Tuesday night, again further north off the coast on Wednesday night, and by Friday night, the shark had pinged off the coast of Long Island around Southampton, New York, according to an OCEARCH map.
“Juvenile white sharks are not typically among the first sharks to begin this northward movement, making Nori’s early migration particularly interesting to follow,” OCEARCH senior data scientist John Tyminski said in a statement.
“The first sharks to move north are often the larger adults and subadults, possibly because their size allows them to tolerate colder waters more effectively,” Tyminski added.
Nori was first tagged in Nova Scotia in October of last year, and had since traveled south to the coast of the Carolinas for the winter before making its move north this spring.
The post from the nonprofit shared, “Nori’s movement north from the staging areas off the Carolinas may signal that the larger seasonal migration of western North Atlantic white sharks is not too far off.”
How to stay safe from sharks in the ocean this summer
As temperatures begin to rise and beachgoers flock to sandy shores this summer, swimmers can follow a few simple guidelines to take caution and reduce the risk of a shark attack.
In a website message, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation says, “Humans assume risk whenever they enter any wild environment, whether on land or in the water. When in the ocean, part of this risk includes interacting with apex predators such as sharks.”
The message continues explaining that although eliminating all risk is not possible, “people can modify their behavior to minimize potential interactions with sharks and reduce overall risk.”
The department recommends “avoiding areas with seals,” staying clear of areas with “schools of fish, splashing fish, or diving seabirds,” keep swimming times during daytime hours and “avoid swimming at dusk, night, and dawn.”
The department also recommends avoiding murky waters and listening to lifeguard and park staff instructions at all times.
“The vast majority of unprovoked incidents are the result of test bites, which occur when a shark misidentifies a human as their preferred prey,” the site reads.
“There is no evidence which suggests that sharks in New York are intentionally pursuing or ‘attacking’ humans,” the message finished.
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