Millions of tourists flock to New Orleans for Mardi Gras every year. On Tuesday, a great white shark was tracked in the northern waters of the Gulf of Mexico off the Louisiana coastline. Why she is there is still a mystery to researchers.
The female adult great white shark measures 15 feet and weighs 2,076 pounds. She has been named Unama'ki, meaning "land of the fog," according to Ocearch.
Ocearch, a data organization dedicated to ocean research, first tagged Unama’ki in September in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia.
She has traveled 3,120 miles during the last 103 days, according to KALB News.
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“It’s the first time we’ve tracked a white shark to this area off the coast of Louisiana,” Ocearch shared on Twitter.
The researchers hope this shark on the move unlocks information about the migration patterns of great white sharks. She could potentially lead researchers to a site of a new white shark nursery.
According to National Geographic, great white sharks are vulnerable and at high risk of extinction in the wild.
"Found in cool, coastal waters throughout the world, there is no reliable data on the great white's population. However, scientists agree that their number are decreasing precipitously due to overfishing and accidental catching in gill nets, among other factors, and they are considered a vulnerable species." —National Geographic
Unama’ki is swimming in waters that average about 70 degrees.
Researchers are excited to see where the giant sea creature heads next. “We’re definitely watching white shark Unama’ki closely right now,” they tweeted in response to local news stories.
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