A real-life "Jaws" has been spotted off the coast of the Hamptons in New York, with sightings suggesting the great white shark weighs in at about 3,500 pounds, the Christian Post reported.
Scientists at OCEARCH, a Utah-based nonprofit organization, reportedly first discovered the shark - nick-named "Mary Lee" - Sept. 12, 2012, in Cape Cod. Since then, the 16-foot creature has vacationed up and down the east coast, traveling to St. Augustine, Fla., where she was recorded on Jan. 9, starting her journey back to the north east on Jan. 10, and arriving back in the waters near the Hamptons Tuesday at 6:04 p.m., according to OCEARCH's tracking map.
Mary Lee was most recently seen swimming about 45 miles off the coast of Montauk Point on Wednesday afternoon, according to the Post. OCEARCH has tracked about 35 sharks since the company first began tagging, but none have announced their whereabouts as much as Mary Lee, the organization says.
"Most of the sharks we have tagged swim out in the ocean and we don't hear from them much, but Mary Lee is super coastal -- people are following her everyday," OCEARCH's founding chairman Chris Fischer said. "Until now, many researchers have never gotten up close to a great white. And Mary Lee is the first shark in history we are able to track like this."
Hamptons residents shouldn't have anything to fear, though. The organization expects Mary Lee will continue to swim away from the coast, saying it's highly unlikely she'll come into contact with any beach-goers.
Great white sharks are notoriously the largest predatory fish in the sea, and live along the coasts of most continents except Antarctica, according to the Post. The creatures have been known to go as long as three months after a big meal before feeding again. Known to devour sea lions whole, the sharks normally live for about 25 years. Despite the menacing reputation, though, the tremendous sharks actually rare attack humans like in Steven Spielberg's "Jaws." Experts suggest that when great whites attack humans its usually because they've mistaken them for seals.
While its gargantuan size might suggest otherwise, great white shark meat is actually not recommended for human consumption as it contains such high levels of mercury, it would potentially be unhealthy for humans to eat.
OCEARCH's Fischer says he hopes the organization's tracking system allows them to learn even more about the great white, while also dispelling some of the "Jaws"-like myths surrounding the animals.
"We hope people become more enlightened and a conversation is started, especially since we opened up this tracker for the world to see," he said. "When we think of a great white, we usually think of 'Jaws' music, but now people are asking what is she doing? Where is she going?"
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