Up close and scary: Juvenile great white shark emerges off coast after winter migration

A great white shark has been cruising just off Florida's coast.

The 9-foot, 433-pound female shark, known as "Brass Bed," was detected northeast of Cape Canaveral earlier this month after her satellite tag transmitted a signal, researchers said.

Brass Bed was originally tagged in October 2025 near Mahone Bay in Nova Scotia, researchers told news agency SWNS.

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Her latest ping places her along a documented winter migration route used by great white sharks moving south from Canadian waters.

John Tyminski, senior data scientist at OCEARCH, told SWNS the movement is consistent with seasonal patterns that researchers observe each year.

"This is a common route that we see with white sharks at this time of year," Tyminski said.

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He said that winter habitats for the species generally extend from the Carolinas south through Georgia and along Florida's coast.

Some sharks continue even farther.

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"About two-thirds of the sharks that we've tagged have shown evidence of at some point going into the Gulf," Tyminski said, according to SWNS. 

At 9 feet, 2 inches long, Brass Bed is considered a juvenile female.

She was tagged through a collaboration between OCEARCH and the Tancook Islands Marine Field Station, led by marine scientist Nigel Hussey, SWNS said.

Brass Bed has proven somewhat elusive since being tagged.

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"She's one that doesn't seem to be spending much time at the surface, or at least her tag is not giving us very regular pings," Tyminski said.

Her recent track, however, shows steady movement south along Florida's east coast.

The Cape Canaveral area, where she was most recently detected, is known for its abundant marine life.

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"That Cape Canaveral area in general seems to be a fairly productive area," Tyminski said. 

"There seems to be a lot of food around there. It's generally considered a fairly sharky area."

Researchers will continue monitoring her movements to see whether she remains along Florida's coast or heads farther west into the Gulf.

Fox News Digital recently reported on two other massive great white sharks. 

A 12-foot, nearly 1,000-pound female great white named Ernst was detected off Alabama's coast, marking one of the westernmost Gulf sightings on record.

Contender, the Atlantic's largest recorded male great white at 14 feet and 1,700 pounds, returned to Florida waters in January 2026.