Track Sharks in Real Time

Thanks to the work of marine researchers, tracking sharks is as easy as following someone on Instagram!

The organization OCEARCH dedicates themselves to the study of great whites and tiger sharks. They track each shark online to gather data on their behaviors. Every time the shark’s dorsal fin breaks the surface the website records and updates the location. Their tracker sends a signal to a satellite, or a “ping” as the researchers call it.

The process of the tagging the sharks takes about 15 minutes. Researchers briefly capture each shark. The shark is then held on a lift while researchers tag them and conduct other studies. They then release the shark.

You can log onto the OCEARCH website 24 hours a day and check where each tagged shark is located.

The tagged sharks each have a name and photo on the website. Some of the sharks even have their own Twitter profiles! It’s easy to become attached to these majestic creatures as you follow their adventures through the ocean deep. Fans post about the sharks every day!

One of our favorite sharks is Rocky Mazzanti! This 25 foot female whale shark has an amazing name and weighed in at 20,000 pounds! Since she was tagged August 24, 2016 she has swam from the east side of the United States to the middle of the North Atlantic!

If you want to take your shark tracking on the go, OCEARCH has a Shark Tracker app for iOS and Android.

Learning about sharks and feeling a connection to them through websites such as OCEARCH helps in the preservation of these amazing animals!

Visit the website here: http://www.ocearch.org