During my interview with Chad Cooper of The Examiner about the upcoming Great White Sharks in the Gulf event at the Museum of the Gulf Coast, he asked, “Was there any research you came across during your journalistic investigation that surprised you about sharks?” That question brought to mind a flood of fascinating discoveries that had stayed with me.
Over the years, I’ve dived deep into studies on great whites and other sharks. One of the biggest surprises was just how versatile great white sharks are in their habitat. We often picture them lurking only just offshore, hunting seals and other marine mammals. But I was amazed to learn they’re not strictly coastal. They venture far into the open ocean, even diving to staggering depths of 3,000 feet. That’s a level of adaptability I hadn’t fully appreciated before. and when I interviewed Dr. Greg Skomal that info blew my mind.
Another revelation came with tracking data. When LeeBeth, a great white, was tagged by Capt. Chip Michalove and the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy off Hilton Head, South Carolina in December 2023, no one expected how far she would travel so quickly. By February 2024, she surfaced near South Padre Island, Texas. That kind of rapid, long-distance migration blew my mind—showing just how dynamic and wide-ranging these creatures truly are.
Then there’s the heartbreaking story of the oceanic whitetip shark. Once the most common large animal—over 100 pounds—on the planet, especially in Gulf waters, their numbers have plummeted by 99%. It’s a sobering testament to the devastating impact of overfishing-especially in the area of shark finning.
And perhaps most striking of all: the reality at Cape Cod. Despite the presence of numerous great whites near the busy beaches, attacks on humans remain exceedingly rare. It’s a powerful reminder that humans are not on their menu; their reputation as mindless killers is deeply misguided.
Chester Moore
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