OUTER BANKS, N.C. – Shark Week is almost here, so what better way to celebrate than to keep up with sharks in the area?
Hilton, a 12.5-foot, 1,300-pound great white shark, was last tracked off the coast of the Outer Banks at 2 p.m. Sunday when his tracking device gave off a ping. According to the tracking map, he has been swimming up and down the coast of North Carolina for the last few days.
Earl Tuesday morning, Hilton made his way closer to the shore, with his last ping revealing his location to be near Kill Devil Hills and Nags Head.
He was tagged by OCEARCH, a non-profit organization dedicated to generating scientific data to tracking and generating research on keystone marine species such as great white sharks and other apex predators.
According to OCEARCH, a ping is determined when a tagged shark’s dorsal fin breaks the surface of the water and transmits a signal to an overhead satellite.
The shark was named after Hilton Head, S.C., where he was caught and tagged during OCEARCH’s Lowcountry Expedition in March.
Click hereto learn more about OCEARCH and here to keep up with Hilton’s journey.
Related links:
You can ‘win a shark’ in OCEARCH’s Shark Awareness Day contest
Two sharks tracked by OCEARCH ping off Virginia Beach, OBX
Ocean-based research team on a mission to save the Great White Shark
Mary Lee the great white shark pings off the coast of Virginia Beach
