1,000-pound great white shark recorded just off Alabama coast

A 1,000-pound Carcharodon carcharias, or great white shark, has been swimming within 10 miles of the Alabama coast line, according to marine and shark researchers from Ocearch.

The shark, which was tagged by the company in October 2025, has made a long journey from Nova Scotia to the Gulf of Mexico over the last three months.

And on Jan. 11, the great white was within just a few miles of Dauphin Island.

Meet Ernst

According to Ocearch, the shark was recorded at 12-feet long and weighing 1,009 pounds when it was first tagged in October. It was considered a sub-adult at the time which means it likely has grown over the last three months.

The name Ernst was chosen by Team Tancook in honor of the ferry William G. Ernst, which has connected the communities of Big and Little Tancook Islands to the mainland since 1982.

Dedicated to the ferry’s hardworking crew, many of whom call Big Tancook Island home, Ernst the shark carries forward that same spirit of connection, resilience, and teamwork that keeps both island life and ocean research moving forward.

Ernst’s journey to Alabama

Ocearch has live pings charted for several sharks they’ve tagged in recent months. You can see each time the company picked up a ping from Ernst on her way to Alabama.

She took roughly six weeks to make the trip around the state of of Florida before taking the last two weeks to move towards the Alabama coast.

The company says this work helps scientists better understand the movement, health, and behavior of white sharks in Atlantic Canada—an essential step toward protecting these apex predators and the ecosystems they support.

You can continue to follow Ernst’s movements on the Ocearch website.

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