a huge great white shark Patrolling waters off the coast of Alabama in January and now patrolling waters off the coast of Mississippi.

The 12-foot-long, nearly 1,000-pound female shark, dubbed “Ernst,” was spotted off the coast of Gulf, Alabama, around mid-January after a satellite tag sent out a signal, researchers said.

Researchers told news agency SWNS that the location a few weeks ago was one of the most westerly locations where great white sharks have been recorded in the Gulf and was considered unusual behavior.

Giant great white shark returns to Florida waters after epic year-long journey across Atlantic Ocean

The ping placed the shark near the Chandler Islands, a series of barrier islands near the Gulf of America. louisiana coast.

Researchers say the shark was very close to shore and beyond the range they typically observe great white shark in the area.

Pictured above, a 12-foot-long, nearly 1,000-pound female great white shark named “Ernst” was spotted off the coast of Gulf, Alabama, and more recently off the coast of Mississippi. (Southwestern Nervous System)

OCEARCH, a U.S.-based oceanographic research organization, tagged Ernst in October 2025 in Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia.

Click here to subscribe to our lifestyle newsletter

After being tagged, Ernst began a long coastal migration, sailing thousands of miles from Canadian waters along the U.S. East Coast.

“She went straight from Nova Scotia to lower Maine, migrated along the coast, and moved around miami and islands all the way beyond the Florida Panhandle,” OCEARCH founder and expedition leader Chris Fischer told SWNS.

The team is using satellite tags to track Ernst’s whereabouts. (Southwestern Nervous System)

Ernst’s westward movement is unusual for great white sharks in the Gulf, Fisher said.

Click here for more lifestyle stories

“She’s definitely moved into one of the farther areas where we see them moving westward,” Fisher said. “For most sharks, that’s pretty far out.”

He added that great white sharks are selective about where they travel – tending to travel through resource-rich areas. marine life.

Researchers say the Ernst pictured migrated thousands of miles from Canada, along the U.S. East Coast to the Gulf of Mexico. (Southwestern Nervous System)

“It’s a little unusual to see her so close to the beach, which is a good sign for the area because it’s a signal that there’s a lot of life and biodiversity here,” Fisher said.

Ernst’s travel diary OCEARCH website As of Sunday, February 1, the female shark was calling again at approximately 6 a.m. on January 30 south of Horn Island off the Mississippi coast. (Researchers were able to note her position when the tag on her dorsal fin emerged from the water, as described on the website.)

Test yourself with our latest lifestyle quiz

“Shark Ernst inherited the spirit of connection, tenacity and teamwork that kept island life and ocean research moving forward,” the organization said on its website as it continues to track her.

OCEARCH tracks other great white sharks across the Atlantic Gulf of America Use satellite tags.

On January 30, the female shark chirped again.

Fox News Digital recently reported that a “contender” for the largest male great white shark ever recorded in the Atlantic has returned to Earth florida waters January 2026, one year after being tagged.

Click here to download the Fox News app

After sailing north to the Gulf of St. Lawrence, the 14-foot-long, 1,700-pound shark reappeared in warm coastal waters, a movement researchers say may be related to great white shark mating activity.