Meet Lesley, the great white shark promoting travel in her community.
Ocearch’s tracking technology allows researchers to monitor sharks movements throughout the world’s oceans, providing valuable insight into their behavior and their range.
Each shark is tagged with a tracking device that is inserted through their dorsal fin, and whenever they break the surface of the water, a signal is transmitted to a satellite. The satellite then sends back an estimated location of the shark.
Each of these ‘pings’ give researchers an accurate, real time location of a particular shark, allowing them to collect data about each individual.
During the tagging process, tests are done on the shark which determines their species, age, sex, weight, length and stage of life. From the data collected a profile is then setup for the shark on Ocearch’s official tracking website.
This process allows researchers to glean the extent of the shark’s territory, the distance they have covered since their tagging and monitor their behavior.
This information provided educates readers, not only about the current shark population and their behaviour, but also about OCEARCH’s conservation initiative.
Expectedly, each shark displays their own particular habits, which coastlines they prefer and the depth at which the like to swim. It’s interesting to follow a particular individual and see what they get up to, how much distance they cover in comparison to other sharks and whether they prefer shallow or deep waters.
Photo credit: www.ocearch.org.
Species: Great white shark (Carcharodon carcharias)
Gender: Female
Weight: 790 kg
Length: 4.1 metres
Stage of Life: Immature
Total distance covered: 1088.207 miles
Tag Location: False Bay
Lesley is a deep sea diving specialist. Whilst most sharks enjoy frolicking on the surface of the water, Lesley prefers to dive deeper, exploring the uncharted waters across the Atlantic and Indian Oceans.
Since being tagged by Ocearch in 2012, Lesley has been sighted only a handful of times. With “pings” being sent to the Ocearch satellite in places as far removed as Gansbaai and Maputo in Mozambique.
The deep waters provide her with a sense of calm not experienced by those on the surface and it has done wonders for her vitality and confidence, swimming in places most of her mates wouldn’t dare to visit.
When she does come up for air, she spends her time trying to convince the other sharks on the wonders and tranquility located on the sea floor, a place untouched by humans and teeming with fresh food sources, notable of which are blue fin tuna, her favourite food.
While you aren’t guaranteed to see Lesley on your next great white shark tour, it’s safe to say her mates who swim closer to the surface will be in proximity. Book your shark cage diving trip with Shark Bookings today, you won’t be disappointed.
Credit: All data found on www.ocearch.org.
