Great white sharks typically gather along the North Carolina coast in the winter but researchers aren’t sure why it happens.
Sara Mirabilio, a fisheries specialist at the North Carolina Sea Grant Extension Program, a state and federally funded program, was prompted to research the topic after an angler hooked a “mystery shark” along the coast.
“This juvenile white shark was literally in the surf zone at Jennette’s Pier in Nags Head, that an angler off the pier caught it,” Mirabilio said, adding that the shark was later released.
Research shows that the spot where the shark was caught — and others like it — could serve as a temporary habitat for young great whites.
