Researchers tracking great white shark in Long Island Sound
Posted: Updated:What's nearly 10 feet long, has hundreds of teeth and is swimming in the Long Island Sound?
A great white shark -- named Cabot.
Researchers with the group OCEARCH are tracking a great white shark in the Sound. He recently pinged of the coast of Greenwich.
OCEARCH, which tags and electronically tracks ocean wildlife, says it's the first time a great white has pinged in the Sound.
Cabot – who naturally has his own Twitter account -- is 9 feet, 8 inches long and is named after explorer John Cabot. His Twitter bio says he was named by SeaWorld using suggestions from Nova Scotians.
Cabot recently pinged in Delaware Bay earlier this month, after spending some time off the coast of North Carolina's Outer Banks.
Chris Fischer, OCEARCH's founding chairman and expedition leader, says the 500-pound-plus shark was tagged last year off Nova Scotia and has traveled as far south as Florida.
Fischer says it's not unheard of for great whites to be in the Sound, but "We were quite surprised to see this one so far to the west." He says the shark is probably after bait fish.
Great whites have a predictable migratory pattern, and can move 100 to 150 miles per day, and he expects Cabot to exit the Sound and continue north.
Associated Press wire services contributed to this report.
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