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michael lee simpson

Rare 9-foot shark spotted 60 miles off Florida coast

Rare 9-foot shark spotted 60 miles off Florida coast

By Michael Lee Simpson A rare and endangered dusky shark has entered the Gulf of Mexico, pinging about 60 miles west of St. Petersburg, Florida. The 9-foot-8, 327-pound predator named "Mira" is the first of its kind tagged and tracked by OCEARCH. Scientists say the

Giant great white shark spotted four miles off Florida coast

Giant great white shark spotted four miles off Florida coast

By Michael Lee Simpson A 9-foot-2-inch great white shark "Brassbed" was detected just four miles off the coast of Hollywood, Florida. She suddenly turned back toward the Atlantic instead of continuing into the Gulf of Mexico, surprising researchers. Scientists tracking her via satellite say the

Largest great white shark surfaces off Florida tourist hotspot

Largest great white shark surfaces off Florida tourist hotspot

By Michael Lee Simpson The biggest great white shark ever recorded in the Atlantic is lingering just six miles off the coast of a major tourist destination. 14ft Contender's most recent 'ping' last week placed him approximately six miles off St. Augustine, Florida. The 14-foot,

Study reveals where great white sharks secretly spend winters

Study reveals where great white sharks secretly spend winters

By Michael Lee Simpson A new study has revealed great white sharks secretly spend their winters in the Gulf of Mexico. Scientists tracked 92 sharks from Atlantic Canada to Florida between 2012 and 2023 and discovered more than half migrate to the Gulf during the winter months. Experts say the

109-year-old giant tortoise’s neck swelling prompts health scare

109-year-old giant tortoise’s neck swelling prompts health scare

By Michael Lee Simpson A 109-year-old Aldabra giant tortoise had advanced medical scans after keepers at an Australian zoo noticed neck swelling and breathing changes. The 298-pound reptile, Esmerelda, was transported from Taronga Zoo Sydney to a specialist animal hospital in North Ryde for a CT scan

Massive 8-foot great white shark spotted near South Carolina coast

Massive 8-foot great white shark spotted near South Carolina coast

By Michael Lee Simpson An 8ft 10in, 456-pound great white shark is prowling just 42 miles away from Myrtle Beach — proving vital to mapping Atlantic migration patterns. Juvenile female great white Brookes, first tagged by OCEARCH off Nova Scotia in October 2025, was detected near Charleston, South Carolina, earlier

Star of ‘Free Willy’ pleads for help to save orcas from closed park

Star of ‘Free Willy’ pleads for help to save orcas from closed park

By Michael Lee Simpson "Free Willy" star Jason James Richter is imploring French authorities to urgently relocate two captive orcas from a closed marine park. The whales remain in tanks at Marineland Antibes near Cannes, in France, despite a 2021 ban requiring relocation by 2026. TideBreakers activists say