Cape Cod Researcher Comes Face to Face With Great White Shark

If you have the Sharktivity App, you may have noticed a ping this week off the coast of South Carolina.  This particular shark has a local connection.

Ask any Cape Codder about sharks, and they usually have a real life story.

One Cape Cod researcher had one of the biggest thrills of a lifetime while on a vessel of Hilton Head, South Carolina.  Megan Winton, a scientist with the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy, was at the ready when they hooked a 14-foot female great white.

She had a tag ready so this beauty could be monitored by the AWSC.  Captain Chip Michalove of Outcast Sport Fishing told Boston 25 News that the tracker will show the sharks movement over the next eight months until it falls off.

Both Michalove and Winton were surprised and excited by the encounter, as it's so early in the season.  They explained it's unusual to see a shark so large this early.

The shark was named LeeBeth by Michalove, after a family friend's daughter who passed away two years ago.   In fact, her dad, brother, and friend happened to be on this shark excursion when they caught the giant fish.

If you want to look for LeeBeth, download the Sharktivity app.  She's the only one that'll ping in the past month on the East coast.  Just beware, the app is very active in season, mostly with sightings, but not necessarily with tagged sharks. That's why LeeBeth is so special.

You can read more on Facebook at Atlantic White Shark Conservancy or Outcast Sport Fishing.