![](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/1_shark.jpg\")
Eleven great white sharks have been spotted off the US coast \u2013 including 13ft 3ins Breton(Image: YOUTUBE\/OCEARCH)<\/p>\nThere’s been a sizeable increase in the number of great white sharks being tracked off the US coast and experts have issued advice on how to avoid an encounter with these near-perfect predatorsEleven great white sharks have been spotted off the US coast \u2013 including 13ft 3ins Breton(Image: YOUTUBE\/OCEARCH)<\/p>\n
A dramatic spike in the number of great white sharks<\/a> has been detected in the waters off the US coast, according to global non-profit ocean research organisation OCEARCH<\/a>. Between August 1 and August 10, 11 great white sharks have been “pinged” by tracking site OCEARCH off the eastern coast of the United States.<\/p>\n Among those to have appeared is the largest great white ever recorded by the organisation \u2013 Contender. Back in June, the apex predator was spotted heading straight towards a tourist beach<\/a>.<\/p>\n And, more recently, the 13ft 9ins predator was ‘Z-pinged’ on August 2<\/a> and August 9 \u2013 meaning it spent some time on the ocean’s surface. Other giant predators spotted this month include 13ft 3ins Breton and 13ft 4ins Bob.<\/p>\n The numbers are a sharp increase on previous months \u2013 with five white sharks pinged in July and just three in June. But Avery McAlhany, a Content Specialist at the organisation, has shared there’s a very simple reason for the uptick in sightings.<\/p>\n She explained that OCEARCH, partnering with the Tancock Islands Marine Field Station in Atlantic Canada<\/a>, have recently tagged, sampled and released seven new white sharks<\/a> in the region.<\/p>\n Avery said: \u201cThese sharks have been pinging frequently, which is common when tags are fresh and free from biofouling\u2014the natural buildup of marine life on tags over time that can reduce signal clarity.\u201d<\/p>\n Avery added that, in recent years, the team had identified a new trend in the sharks\u2019 migration patterns. She continued: \u201cThe majority of white sharks in the western North Atlantic migrate north to Atlantic Canada or New England during the summer months, drawn by cooler waters and abundant food sources like fish and seals.\u201d<\/p>\n Despite their fearsome reputation, great whites are only rarely responsible for fatal attacks on humans, often trying one \u201csample bite\u201d before swimming off to find something more to their taste.<\/p>\n Although stories of their poor eyesight tends to be exaggerated, great whites don’t have good colour vision and cannot make out fine details as well we we can. They often mistake surfers and swimmers for their preferred prey, seals.<\/p>\n Around 90% of swimmers who are attacked are likely to live to tell the tale, according to figures from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. That said, the ocean\u2019s apex predator has immensely powerful jaws, meaning that even one bite can cause catastrophic injuries.<\/p>\n There are some key pointers to avoid an encounter with these monsters of the deep. Circling birds, splashing water, a dead whale, large groups of seals and dolphins<\/a> are all clues that a shark could be nearby.<\/p>\n Because great whites are really looking for seals, it\u2019s a good idea not to look like one. Plain, dark-coloured wetsuits can contribute to misidentification. Consider a brightly-coloured, patterned wetsuit instead.<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/1755009010_245_0_Biggest-great-white-shark-ever-recorded-heading-to-new-holiday-hotspot.jpg\")
Contender is the biggest great white ever recorded by OCEARCH(Image: OCEARCH \/ SWNS)<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/1_great-white-shark.jpg\")
Breton was first tagged four years ago(Image: YOUTUBE\/OCEARCH)<\/p>\n