Celebrating OCEARCH’s Top 10 Tagged Animals
This International Women’s Day, OCEARCH celebrates the strength and vital role of female sharks in our oceans. From coastal nurseries to offshore migrations, these ten remarkable animals were tagged, sampled, and released throughout the years – each one providing essential data that powers ocean conservation.
1. WHITE SHARK MARY LEE
(western North Atlantic Population)
- Mary Lee swam thousands of miles up and down the U.S. East Coast, even visiting areas like Bermuda.
- The SPOT track of this 16 foot adult female covers more than 40,000 miles.
- Mary Lee’s movements were widely followed online and she became one of the most famous white sharks in the world.
2. WHITE SHARK NUKUMI
(western North Atlantic Population)
- She is the largest white shark tagged by Ocearch in the western North Atlantic. She weighed 17 ft 2 in. at the time of tagging.
- Her name, Nukumi, meaning “my grandmother” in the Mi’kmaq language.
- We estimate that Nukumi is around 50 years of age.
3. WHITE SHARK KATHERINE
(western North Atlantic Population)
- Katharine is a 14’ 2” mature female white shark tagged off Cape Cod, MA in August of 2013.
- Katharine was estimated to weigh more than 1,800 lbs.
- She showed extensive inshore and offshore movements that ranged from Atlantic Canada down to the northeast Gulf of Mexico.
4. WHITE SHARK LYDIA
(western North Atlantic Population)
- After being tagged off Jacksonville, FL, Lydia’s travels covered more than 52,000 miles and demonstrated broad offshore movements in the open Atlantic.
- First western North Atlantic tagged white shark ever documented to have crossed the mid Atlantic Ridge.
5. TIGER SHARK HANNA
- A nearly 12 foot adult female tiger shark tagged off Jacksonville, FL in April of 2025.
- An ultrasound at the time of tagging revealed that Hanna was pregnant – offering a rare opportunity to learn more about tiger shark reproduction.
- By the early summer, Hanna moved into the Gulf of Mexico – her most recent location was east of New Orleans.
6. WHITE SHARK KIMBERLY
(southwest Australian Population)
In Partnership with Caterpillar Inc.
- Named after one of the nine regions of Western Australia.
- The first female tagged during the Western Australia expedition.
7. WHITE SHARK AMY
(eastern North Pacific Population)
- One of the first female white sharks tagged in the Pacific.
- Measured 16’3”, with one of the most impressive girths we’ve recorded.
- Tracking her helped lead to the discovery of a white shark nursery in the Gulf of California.
8. DUSKY SHARK MIRA
- Mira is Ocearch’s first dusky shark tagged, sampled and released.
- She is a mature female measuring 9’ 8” in length.
- Since dusky sharks are an Endangered species, Mira’s satellite track contributes key information for improving management of this species.
9. LOGGERHEAD SEA TURTLE WASSAW WILL
Tagged, Sampled, & Released in collaboration with the Archie Carr Center for Sea Turtle Research in partnership with the Caretta Research Project
- Wassaw Will was first seen and tagged in 2010 by CRP researchers, and visited us again in 2013, 2016, 2019, 2022, 2025
- She has laid 2,845 eggs since 2013!
- She typically lays 5 or 6 nests a year, resulting in 31 total nests with 2,845 eggs, 2,184 of which have hatched!
10. WHITE SHARK GOODALL
(western North Atlantic Population)
Tagged, Sampled, & Released in collaboration with the Tancook Islands Marine Field Station
- Named in honor of Dr. Jane Goodall, one of the world’s most influential pioneers in wildlife conservation
- Goodall is a 13 ft. 2 in. adult female white shark
- She will help provide up to ten years of data on the movement and behavior of white sharks in this critical region.
