SYDNEY, N.S. — A search of Cape Breton waters for great white sharks has already proven fruitful for a Florida-based shark research group.
Ocearch tagged a white shark measuring more than 3.71 metres and weighing about 544 kilograms on the weekend and named it ‘Sydney’ after the community that’s hosting the group during its research mission.
A second white shark spotted off Cape Breton got away before it could be tagged and studied.
The Ocearch team of fishermen and scientists will be searching for great whites along Scatarie Island and Hay Island until Thursday. The Post is scheduled to accompany the expedition on Tuesday.
Waters off Cape Breton are considered to be a summer feeding grounds for white sharks. Ocearch is attempting to tag some of them, collect samples and affix satellite tags to dorsal fins.
One of the sharks the group tagged in the past, a 4.8-metre-long male named Hilton, became something of a local celebrity last September when he spent considerable time near Main-a-Dieu, Mira Gut, Port Morien and Donkin on the island’s eastern coast.
Last year, Ocearch tagged seven other white sharks during its expedition off Nova Scotia.
Sydney the shark, like others tagged by Ocearch, now has it’s own Twitter handle and is already tweeting.
Very interesting to see so many male white sharks up here in Nova Scotia. Both the shark that got away this trip and @Sydney_TheShark were males along with 5 of the 7 we sampled last year. pic.twitter.com/RQZBiMrhCD
— OCEARCH (@OCEARCH) September 16, 2019
The accounts first tweet: “Hi everyone! I’m Sydney … you know your typical Caper white shark! A Caper is someone who calls the beautiful Cape Breton home.”
The accounts bio reads: Just a shark doing my thing. I was tagged by @OCEARCH in 2019 up the wonderful Cape Breton. Proud to be at least a part-time Caper.
“Cape Breton is a white shark’s dream!” Reads another of its tweets. “So many seals, tons of rocky coves to explore, crazy amounts of life … what’s there to to love.”
Hi everyone! I’m Sydney...you know your typical Caper white shark! A Caper is someone who calls the beautiful Cape Breton home. @OCEARCH pic.twitter.com/D384D1TYi8
— Great White Sydney (@Sydney_TheShark) September 15, 2019
Such Twitter accounts have proven to be popular with members of the general public who wish to track the movements of tagged sharks.
Sydney’s account already has 376 followers, and is following no one (expect maybe seas).
The main Twitter account for Ocearch (@OCEARCH) has been tweeting about the group’s exploration off Cape Breton.
“Very interesting to see so many male white sharks up here in Nova Scotia,” was a recent tweet. “Both the shark that got away this trip and @Sydney_TheShark were males along with 5 of the 7 we sampled last year.”
Once Ocearch leaves Cape Breton, the team will work its way south back to West Ironbound Island before wrapping up its expedition Oct. 4.
TAGGING SYDNEY, Courtesy Ocearch
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