11-foot great white shark in Gulf off Florida coast ahead of spring break

11-foot great white shark in Gulf off Florida coast ahead of spring break

A huge great white shark named “Maple” is off the coast of Florida this week just ahead of the busy spring break season.

Maple was first tagged  on Sept. 14, 2021 near Ironbound Island, Novia Scotia, according to Ocearch’s  Global Shark Tracker. An adult female, Maple last pinged Monday morning 43 miles southeast of St. George Island, Florida in the Gulf of Mexico.

Maple weighs about 1,264 pounds and is 11 feet, 7 inches long. She received her name in honor of the maple leaf, one of Canada’s national emblems.

Another great white, Rose, also tracked off the Florida coast, but much further south near the Florida Keys. Rose is a 600-pound female who is about 10 feet, 5 inches long. She was first tagged Oct. 4, 2020 near Lunenburg, Novia Scotia.