Great White Shark Sighting In NJ Coincides With The 50th Anniversary Of Jaws

This may not come as a surprise, but a shark was spotted off the coast in Monmouth County.

Yes, a shark spotted in the ocean, it's about as surprising as seeing a bird in a tree; however, we do have an affinity for knowing what lurks beneath the water near the Jersey Shore.

Get our free mobile app

First Shark Sighting Of Summer At The Jersey Shore

And it just so happens that this shark sighting was the first of the summer, and also just happens to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the legendary film Jaws.

Massive 11-foot Great White Shark Nicknamed Dold

This wasn't just any shark that was spotted, either; it was a mighty great white shark that was tagged by OCEARCH back in February, and has been being tracked since researchers first tagged the animal near Florida, according to APP.

READ MORE: Seaside Heights Has New Boardwalk Hours And A Bag Ban

The 11-foot great white shark is nicknamed Dold, after Christopher Dold of SeaWorld, a key researcher and figure in ocean conservation.

At 11 feet long, the Great White Dold weighs in at around 760 pounds.

Should Swimmers Be Worried About Shark Activity?

Now, you may be concerned knowing that this behemoth of an apex predator was spotted in the waters of Monmouth County, especially with a busy summer season of swimming on the way.

But this big shark pinged researchers about 40 to 50 miles off the coast in Monmouth County waters, and generally speaking, sharks don't frequently bite or interact with humans.

How Do Researchers Track Sharks?

A shark can ping researchers when its tagged dorsal fin is above water for more than 90 seconds.