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White shark breaks records with historic journey from South Carolina to Mexico

By Chris Williams
Published  March 6, 2024 1:31pm EST
Wild Nature
FOX TV Stations

Scientists catch on-screen glimpse of very rare whitetip shark

Scientists using an underwater camera to monitor the marine ecosystem around the Cayman Islands recently caught a rare glimpse of a "critically endangered" whitetip shark. (Credit: Blue Belt Programme via Storyful)

A white shark made history last month when she traveled from South Carolina to Mexico, according to the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy.

Researchers said this is the furthest west a white shark has been tracked in the Gulf of Mexico and that the shark's journey was over 2,000 miles. 

The shark, named LeeBeth, was pinged off the coast of Matamoros, Mexico. She was previously tagged off of Hilton Head, South Carolina in December. 

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Cape Cod, MA - August 3: A view of a Great White Shark on a white shark research trip with the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy. (Photo by David L. Ryan/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

"The long distance movements of LeeBeth highlight why international coordination is critical for white shark conservation," the AWSC said in a Facebook post.

Great whites are called white sharks by the science community due to their white underbelly and gray top half, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. 

According to Oceana, great white sharks are top predators and prey populations such as elephant seals and sea lions in balance. This ultimately increases species stability and the diversity of the ocean.

FOX News contributed to this report. This story was reported from Los Angeles.