A 700-pound juvenile great white shark named Bella has been detected swimming past the Eastern Shore of Virginia as she makes her way south for the winter, according to a report from the New York Post. Bella, tagged in Nova Scotia in July by the research organization OCEARCH, pinged roughly 20 miles east of Fisherman Island National Wildlife Refuge as she traveled quickly down the Atlantic coastline.
OCEARCH founder and marine biologist Chris Fischer told the Post that Bella’s movements mark the first time researchers have been able to document her annual southbound migration. Over the last week, she traveled from Montauk to the Chesapeake Bay region, highlighting what scientists say is the normal late-fall pattern for white sharks along the Mid-Atlantic. Fischer said Bella is one of the later sharks to depart Canada this season, with most already south of Cape Hatteras.
Fischer noted that Bella’s passage near the Eastern Shore is not unusual and poses minimal risk to the public, adding that modern tracking technology simply reveals shark movements that have always occurred offshore. He emphasized that shark incidents remain extremely rare, with fewer than a dozen reported worldwide each year. “We’ve all been swimming with white sharks all our lives,” he told the Post. “Nothing’s changed. We just know now.”
Bella’s long-term tracking may also contribute to a broader scientific breakthrough. As she matures, researchers hope her movements could help pinpoint potential mating areas—regions that remain largely unknown for the species. For now, Fischer said Bella appears to be entering a highly productive ocean zone, where the continental shelf draws close to the coast and provides abundant food after her long swim south.
A Great White shark would have little reason to enter Chesapeake Bay anytime, let alone now. Other than people, there are few marine mammals to hunt, although the number of dolphins seems to be increasing, and there's a chance of a stray manatee. Moreover, this time of year, the Bay is cooling much more rapidly than the ocean, and much of the migratory fish are getting ready to leave for points south.
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