White Shark Travels to Mexico after Release

The young white shark we returned to the wild in early February 2008 traveled past the southern tip of Baja California and headed south—straight and fast—averaging 40 miles a day. That's based on data we received from two electronic tracking tags the shark carried during his journey.

This male shark is the first to carry a Smart Position or Temperature Transmitting (SPOT) tag, which is delivering near real-time reports on his position, updated almost on a daily basis. You can track the white shark's movements online on the Tagging of Pacific Predators (TOPP) website.

As with the previous sharks, the shark had a tag that logged where he traveled, including the water temperatures and depths he favored. That tag detached on June 12, and was collected by researchers.

This shark spent 162 days at the Aquarium, growing from an initial size of 4-foot, 9-inches and 67 ½ pounds when it arrived on August 28, 2007 to 5-foot, 10-inches and 140 pounds at release.

This marks the third time in four years that the Aquarium has exhibited a white shark and then returned it to the wild successfully. All three white sharks have survived and thrived following their releases. The Aquarium will begin its seventh field season of white shark research this summer, and will again attempt to bring a young shark back to Monterey for exhibit.

In addition to bringing young sharks for exhibit, we've tagged a dozen young sharks in the wild in Southern California waters as part of our white shark field project. And we support research to track the migrations of adult white sharks tagged off the Farallon Islands and Point Año Nuevo on California's central coast.

• Read our press release
• Watch a news story about the white shark’s travels
• Track the white shark's movement

	Why White Sharks Need Our Help Overfishing, trophy hunting, habitat destruction—all have contributed to a devastating decline in the white shark population worldwide. Here at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, we're working to turn the tide. We're learning more about white sharks and supporting policies to protect them in the wild. You can help. Donate now to help
	We're Learning a Lot Observing a white shark face to face is exciting for visitors—and helpful for scientists. But it's just a small part of our white shark research project. Studying white sharks in the wild is even more important and intriguing. Together with our research partners, we’re learning more every day about their habits, travels, and their unique role in the ocean ecosystem. Find out more

Tagging of Pacific Predators The Tagging of Pacific Predators (TOPP) project helps reveal the hidden lives of white sharks in the wild. In 2005 the Aquarium provided $500,000 that helped TOPP scientists tag 29 adult white sharks. In 2006, we contributed another $200,000, and 41 more white sharks were tagged. Most of the pop-up satellite tags from 2005 have "phoned home" with truly exciting data. The Secret Lives of White Sharks: A Closer Look

Take Action! You can make a difference for white sharks and other ocean wildlife—and it's easy to do! Join our Ocean Action Team. Follow guidelines from Seafood Watch.