Two great white sharks were recently detected off the North Carolina coast, according to the OCEARCH shark tracker.
Satellite data shows a 10-foot, 3-inch female white shark named Cayo pinged offshore of North Carolina on March 6, 2026, at 6:09 a.m. Cayo weighs approximately 689 pounds.
Another female great white, Nori, measured at 8 feet, 10 inches and weighing 423 pounds, pinged in North Carolina waters on March 3, 2026, at 12:29 a.m.
Both sharks are part of OCEARCH’s ongoing research program tracking great white shark migration patterns along the Atlantic coast. A “ping” occurs when a tagged shark surfaces and its dorsal fin breaks the water, allowing a satellite transmission to record its location.
In addition to the shark activity, a female loggerhead sea turtle named Wassaw Will pinged in the Onslow Bay area on March 7, 2026, at 8:47 a.m. The turtle measures 3 feet, 3 inches in length.
Marine researchers use satellite tracking data to monitor migration routes and better understand the movement of sharks and sea turtles along the East Coast.
Shark pings off North Carolina are not uncommon during seasonal migrations as ocean temperatures begin to shift in late winter and early spring.