Gerat white shark Bella heads to Virginia Beach for holiday migration

A 700-pound great white shark named Bella is headed towards Virginia Beach for the holiday season.

Tagged in Nova Scotia in July, the juvenile is heading south this season, and is detected off the Easter shore of Virginia and traveling rapidly from Montauk to the Chesapeake Bay area.

Researchers say her movements highlight how white sharks use the coast in late fall and winter, and her presence near beaches is normal and poses minimal risk.

Bella’s long-term tracking may help scientists pinpoint white shark mating areas as she matures, offering rare insight into the species’ life cycle.

OCEARCH founder and marine biologist Chris Fischer, who has been tracking the 10-foot female, says Bella pinged 20 miles west of Fisherman Island National Wildlife Refuge and 32 miles northeast of Virginia Beach.

The scientist, who has also been tracking “Contender” – the largest male great white shark ever recorded in the Atlantic – notes this marks the first time scientists have documented Bella’s annual southbound migration.

This represents a significant milestone in understanding white shark behavior along the Atlantic Coast. 

Bella was originally tagged in Nova Scotia in July and is among the later sharks making the journey south this season.

“Most of them are already south of Cape Hatteras, but Bella is one of the later sharks moving down the coast,” Fischer said. 

“This is her first trip south that we’re actually able to track her and see how and where she’s moving.”

The tracking data reveals how white sharks use the Atlantic Coast during late fall and early winter migrations. 

Fischer explains that approximately 88% of tagged sharks spend their summer and fall in Atlantic Canada, with only 12% using the Northeastern United States.

“They’re all up there putting pressure on the seals, hammering them so that they don’t eat too many of our fish,” Fischer said. 

“They’re kind of guarding our fish stocks.”

Bella’s rapid movement has caught researchers’ attention. 

Over the past week, she traveled from Montauk all the way down to the Chesapeake Bay area, demonstrating the impressive speed of these apex predators during migration.

“She’s been moving fast,” Fischer said. 

“It’ll be interesting to see if she pauses here because sometimes we see sharks sliding south pause on this northern outer banks area and settle in there for a little bit before they slide back further south.”

The scientist notes that Bella is entering a highly productive ocean region where the continental shelf comes close to the beach, providing abundant food sources after her long journey from northern waters.

Despite the proximity to popular beaches, Fischer says that such shark presence is completely normal and poses minimal risk to swimmers. 

He says modern tracking equipment deployed since 2012 has simply made visible what has always been occurring.

“This actually is not rare,” Fischer said. “This is what we are seeing now is normal.”

“We’ve all been swimming with white sharks all our lives. Nothing’s changed. We just know now.”

Fischer stresses that shark interactions remain statistically insignificant, with fewer than a dozen incidents occurring worldwide each year. 

He says “the days of ‘Jaws are over” and that scientists have “disproved everything in the ‘Jaws’ movie years ago,” noting the risk of an attack is “much lower than getting in your car and driving down the highway.”

The researcher attributes increased shark sightings to ocean recovery rather than population growth in dangerous areas. 

He describes the current state as “the great return to abundance,” crediting excellent management practices for restoring marine ecosystems.

“Our oceans are full of life again,” Fischer said. “We are seeing more life now than we’ve seen in 50 to 60 years. 

“We are not part of the global ocean sad story in the United States of America. We are the world leader in returning our oceans back.”

For beachgoers, Fischer recommends basic awareness rather than fear. 

He advises looking for signs of marine life activity, such as bait balls and feeding birds, and simply choosing quieter areas for swimming.

Fischer says Bella’s tracking could yield long-term data as she matures, possibly helping scientists identify white shark mating areas for the first time.

Fischer said: “Bella is just one of these great sharks that we’re going to get to watch over the coming years go from a juvenile animal into becoming a sexually mature animal.”