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Two Great White Sharks Being Tracked Off Atlantic Coast

Before you dip your toes in the waters off the Atlantic Coast, know that two great white sharks are currently in the area, including near Long Island.

Monomoy photographed in 2020.

Monomoy photographed in 2020.

Photo Credit: Ocearch/Chris Ross
Martha being checked in 2020.

Martha being checked in 2020.

Photo Credit: Ocearch/Chris Ross

The two are being tracked in the waters of the Atlantic Ocean off the New Jersey coast before they head north, said officials with Ocearch, a non-profit that tracks the location of sharks across the U.S.

There were three great whites in the area, but one, Charlotte, an 8-foot, 338-pound teenager, pinged closer to Cape Cod on Tuesday, June 15, said Paige Finney with Ocearch. 

The other two include Martha, a 184-pound, 7-foot female great white who pinged on Saturday, June 12, near Asbury Park, New Jersey, and Monomoy, a 6-foot, 7-inch young male, who was last tracked off Long Island in May, according to Ocearch data.

"It is common for sharks to be in this area as they migrate north for the Summer/Fall," said Finney. "Many of these sharks will continue north towards Nova Scotia but there will also be some that stay slightly more south in the New England area."

Martha is the fourth white shark tagged during Ocearch Expedition Massachusetts 2020. She is named after the island of Martha's Vineyard.

Monomoy is the first juvenile ever tagged by Ocearch in the Cape Cod area. 

He is named after Monomoy Island near where he was tagged. 

Officials said that although the great whites do attack and are out there, their swimming pattern is usually in much deeper waters than those used by casual swimmers.

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