700-pound great white shark Bella heads to Virginia Beach for holiday in rare first migration
A 700‑pound great white shark named Bella is on her way to Virginia Beach this holiday season. Tagged off the coast of Nova Scotia in July, the juvenile has already been spotted along the East Coast, moving rapidly from Montauk down to the Chesapeake Bay area.
Scientists say Bella’s journey shows how great whites use the Atlantic shoreline during late fall and early winter. While her presence near popular beaches might sound scary, researchers emphasize that it’s a normal part of the species’ life cycle and poses almost no danger to swimmers.
Monitoring Bella over the long term could help scientists locate white‑shark breeding grounds as she grows, offering a rare glimpse into the species’ reproductive habits.
OCEARCH founder and marine biologist Chris Fischer, who has been tracking the 10‑foot female since July, noted that her last transmitter ping occurred 20 miles west of Fisherman Island National Wildlife Refuge and 32 miles northeast of Virginia Beach. He highlighted that this is the first time the scientific community has documented Bella’s annual south‑bound migration—a significant milestone for understanding white‑shark behavior along the Eastern Seaboard.
Fischer remarked, “Most of them are already south of Cape Hatteras, but Bella is one of the later sharks moving down the coast.” He added that this marks her first observable southern trip, giving researchers insight into her routes. His data shows that roughly 88 % of tagged sharks spend the summer and fall in Atlantic Canada, while only 12 % are found in the Northeastern United States.
“They’re all up there putting pressure on the seals, hammering them so that they don’t eat too many of our fish,” Fischer laughed. “They’re kind of guarding our fish stocks.”
Bella’s fast pace over the past week—traversing from Montauk to Chesapeake Bay—has caught scientists’ attention. Fischer observed that she’s been moving rapidly and wonders whether she will pause where she is. “Sometimes we see sharks sliding south pause on this northern outer banks area and settle in there for a little bit before they slide back further south,” he said.
The scientist noted that Bella is now entering a highly productive zone where the continental shelf comes close to the beach, offering ample food after her long northerly trek.
According to Fischer, the presence of a great white near a popular beach is entirely normal and poses minimal risk. Modern tracking technology deployed since 2012 simply makes visible what had always been happening. “This actually is not rare,” he emphasized. “This is what we are seeing now is normal.”
“We’ve all been swimming with white sharks all our lives. Nothing’s changed. We just know now,” he added.
Fisher stressed that shark encounters remain statistically insignificant, with fewer than a dozen incidents worldwide each year. He reminded readers that the days of “Jaws are over” have already passed, noting that the risk of an attack is “much lower than getting in your car and driving down the highway.” The increased visibility of sharks, he believes, stems from ocean recovery rather than population growth in dangerous areas. He calls the present state “the great return to abundance,” crediting sound management practices that have restored marine ecosystems.
“We’re seeing more life now than we’ve seen in 50 to 60 years,” Fischer told reporters. “We are not part of the global ocean sad story in the United States. We are the world leader in returning our oceans back.”
For beachgoers, Fischer advises a calm, aware approach rather than fear. Look for signs of marine life activity, such as bait balls or feeding birds, and choose quieter swimming spots. He believes that Bella’s long‑term tracking could, in the future, pinpoint white‑shark mating areas for the first time.
“Bella is just one of these great sharks that we’re going to get to watch over the coming years go from a juvenile animal into becoming a sexually mature animal,” Fischer concluded.
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