A huge great white shark has been tracked just 3 miles from North Carolina's Pea Island, according to nonprofit Ocearch's shark tracker.
Freya, an 11-foot shark weighing 883 pounds, was lurking in the shallows off Pea Island, on the outer banks of the state, at 11.19 p.m on June 19.
Ocearch's shark tracker pings when a tagged white shark comes close to the surface of the water.
The organization tags the elusive species to learn more about their behavior. Freya was first tagged on March 25 in 2021.
To tag the sharks, Ocearch, which aims to collect data that can be passed on to scientists, lifts them out of the water onto a hydraulic platform. A flow of seawater is constantly passed over their gills while staff attach the tags to their bodies. Samples are also taken from the animals for data purposes. They are then returned to the water.
Despite Freya's proximity to the shore, it is unlikely she will come into conflict with a human. In 2021, there were 47 shark attacks across the whole of the U.S., with only one fatality.
This population of great white sharks make their way through the Carolina waters, along the U.S. south coast, on their migration south for the winter. The sharks spend a large portion of their summer and autumn in the areas around Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Maine, while their winters are spent off the coasts of Florida, Georgia, and South and North Carolina.
Almost exactly a year ago, Freya was tracked in the waters off New Jersey and Rhode Island.
Other great white sharks have also come extremely close to the North Carolina coast in recent months. In May, three sharks named Ironbound, Ulysses and Tancook were spotted swimming in the area.
Ironbound is a particularly large white shark, measuring 12 feet, 4 inches long and weighing about 998 pounds. He left North Carolina later in May, for the Gulf of Mexico.
Scientists believe these sharks stop off in the North Carolina waters for their mating season in the early spring and summer months, which could explain their location.
Juvenile great white sharks have been frequently spotted in the area, meaning it could also be a nursery area for the species—these are usually protected, shallow areas where the pups can grow and learn before venturing off into the deeper waters.
One of Ocearch's main aims is to learn more about the mating of great white sharks, as this still remains a large mystery to scientists.
Freya's name translates to "Nobel Woman." She was named by Ocearch's partner Sea World.
When she was first tagged, Ocearch said on Facebook that she was named "in homage" to the noble women researchers on an expedition to the Carolinas, "who are working to uncover crucial shark insights related to their species' conservation."
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
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