In recent days, a viral social media post has circulated across multiple platforms claiming the famed tagged great white shark “LeeBeth” has once again returned to the Texas coast for what some are calling a “spring break migration.”
The post includes a sensational graphic stating:
“A 2,600-pound great white shark named Leebeth has traveled 2,000 miles to the Texas coast for spring break. This map shows where she has surfaced over the last week.”
But despite the excitement the post generated, the claim is not true.
LeeBeth , a massive great white shark tagged by the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy in partnership with Capt. Chip Michalove of Outcast Sport Fishing (who provide the photo used in our header), last appeared near Cape Cod in November 2024 via acoustic detection. Her final satellite ping came earlier, on Oct. 1, 2024, off the coast of Nova Scotia.
While LeeBeth captivated public attention during her remarkable journey through the Gulf of Mexico in 2024, she is not currently being actively tracked by satellite. Her satellite tag is no longer transmitting, and there have been no recent acoustic detections in Gulf waters.
Unlike satellite tags, which can provide near real-time updates when sharks surface, acoustic transmitters only record detections when the animal passes near specialized listening stations. At this time, no verified detections place LeeBeth anywhere near Texas or the Gulf.
Organizations such as the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy and OCEARCH, along with researchers and conservationists including Capt. Chip Michalove, have played a major role in helping scientists better understand great white shark behavior and migration through tagging and tracking efforts in both Atlantic and Gulf waters.
Public fascination with LeeBeth is understandable. Her appearance in Gulf waters in 2024 was a significant event for marine science and shark conservation. But this latest viral claim is built on speculation, not science. And it’s not the first time. I shot down rumors of her Texas return in a post last year as well.
For those interested in following LeeBeth and other white sharks, reliable updates can be found through the Sharktivity app and official Atlantic White Shark Conservancy tracking resources.
And if LeeBeth does surface again with confirmed data, we’ll report it here at GulfGreatWhites.com.
It is become increasingly common to see inaccurate reports of great white sharks in the Gulf that muddy the waters of the vey real story of their return. And many are quite sensational in nature.
I won’t be able to respond to all of them (nor should I) but when I see one gaining real traction, I will do my best to show the real story here.
Chester Moore
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