Great White Shark spotted near Alabama coast [WATCH]

She goes by the name Miss Pawla. And she might be a little closer to home than you’d want her to be.

Researchers from the University of South Alabama (USA) recently captured video of Miss Pawla, an 8-foot long juvenile Great White Shark, off the coast of Alabama. They were monitoring fish movement near the state’s artificial reef zone when they saw the shark.

Keep reading to find out more about the sighting + why the sighting is considered a rare occurrence.

Discovering Miss Pawla

The first sighting of the shark was captured in mid-April by underwater cameras during a survey from South Alabama, Mississippi State and Florida’s Fish and Wildlife Research Institution. Less than two weeks later, she was spotted again roughly 30 miles south of Dauphin Island.

You can watch the video of Miss Pawla from USA below:

As of Friday, May 3, Miss Pawla seems to be gone from the site.

Based on her size, scientists believe Miss Pawla to be around 15 years old. Sharks usually live to be around 50 years old and will not reach maturity until around the age of 30.

She was spotted in approximately 150 feet of water where the artificial reef was located and it is the first known sighting in that area by scientists.

White sharks can be identified by their unique scarring pattern on their body particularly their head and fins, and usually named so scientists can track their movements. This juvenile has never been recorded before, so she was named after one of South’s mascots, Miss Pawla.

The University’s other mascot, SouthPaw, already inspired the naming of a 12-foot tiger shark, SouthJaw, and that shark carries a satellite tracker.

Why is it a rare sighting?

According to USA, white sharks are not often spotted off the Alabama coast because of the warmer water. They are most common off the coast of New England or in California but they have been reported in other areas of the Gulf of Mexico, more often in deeper + cooler waters.

“We have surveyed over 1,000 artificial and natural reef areas over the last 10 years, providing scientific data to assist the State of Alabama in managing its offshore fisheries. This is our first documented sighting of a white shark.”

~ Sean Powers, Director of USA’s Stokes School of Marine and Environmental Sciences

But there have also been other public reports of white sharks seen by people off Alabama’s coast. One was caught by fishermen while another washed up dead on a Florida Panhandle beach.

USA said sharks are an important element of the state’s marine ecosystem. Anglers are reminded that white sharks are a federally prohibited species and must be released alive if caught.

What’s the most impressive marine life you’ve ever seen in Alabama waters? Let us know by tagging The Bama Buzz on Instagram, X, Facebook + LinkedIn.