Top Sharks By Distance Traveled
Explore the apex predators topping the OCEARCH leaderboard in the OCEARCH Global Shark Tracker™ app. Meet Lydia, Breton, Katharine, Mary Lee, and Alisha – the five sharks that have logged the most miles. Follow their epic migrations on the free OCEARCH Global Shark Tracker™ app and learn how their long-distance movements inform conservation and ocean health.
This week we spotlight the top sharks ranked by total distance traveled on the OCEARCH leaderboard.
WHY THIS MATTERS
– Long-distance tracking reveals migration routes, connectivity between regions, and critical habitats used throughout life stages.
– Understanding extensive movements helps researchers hypothesize conservation strategies.
– Following these sharks on the OCEARCH Global Shark Tracker™ brings real-time science to the public and encourages informed ocean stewardship.
TOP SHARKS BY DISTANCE TRAVELED
Ranked By Total Miles Tracked
LYDIA — 53,167 miles
– Mature female, 2,072 lbs, 14 ft 6 in
– Tagged: March 2, 2013 — Jacksonville, FL
– Highest tracked speed: around 14 km/h (~9 mph)
– Notable: The leaderboard’s all-time distance leader — a model for understanding long-range coastal and open-ocean movements.
BRETON — 47,533 miles
– Mature male, 1,437 lbs, 13 ft 3 in
– Tagged: Sept 11, 2020 — Scatarie Island, Nova Scotia
– Notable: Extensive northern–southern movements help illustrate the life history of the western North Atlantic White Shark.
KATHARINE — 34,044 miles
– Mature female, 1,804 lbs, 14 ft 2 in
– Tagged: Aug 19, 2013 — Cape Cod, MA
– Notable: Long-term telemetry from a Cape Cod-tagged female highlights seasonal migration patterns and habitat use.
MARY LEE — 33,285 miles
– Mature female, 2,639 lbs, 16 ft
– Tagged: Sept 16, 2012 — Cape Cod, MA
– Notable: A well-known tracker whose repeated long-distance movements provide repetitive white shark movement data.
ALISHA — 31,222 miles
– Sub-adult female, 1,337 lbs, 12 ft 10 in
– Tagged: May 8, 2012 — Gansbaai, South Africa
– Notable: Demonstrates broad regional movement — recorded travels spanning South Africa to Indonesia, offering insight into juvenile dispersal and international migrations.
HOW TO TRACK THEM
– Download the free OCEARCH Global Shark Tracker™ app or visit the tracker online.
– Search by shark name (Brookes, Ernst, Ripple, Toño, Bella, Nori) to view migration paths, recent locations, and tagging data.
– Enable your phone notifications for real-time movement updates and seasonal summaries.
– Enable notifications for real-time updates on movements.
GET INVOLVED— TRACK, LEARN, & PROTECT
Follow these sharks and dozens more on the OCEARCH Global Shark Tracker™ app to monitor real-time shark tracking, migration patterns, and conservation updates. Explore OCEARCH educational materials, share shark tracking maps with your community, and consider supporting shark tagging and marine research to help protect white sharks and ocean ecosystems.
Want the chance to meet a shark like Mary Lee, Nukumi, or Contender? Enter our Meet a Shark Sweepstakes for a once-in-a-lifetime experience that helps protect sharks and our oceans. You may enter multiple times to increase your chances of winning!
