Great White Sharks Nukumi, Gladee: How To Track Them On NC Coast

NORTH CAROLINA — This week has been jam-packed with news, from sky-rocketing COVID-19 spread throughout the state, a presidential impeachment and preparation for possible armed protesters in Raleigh. In that context, perhaps it is fitting that there are also two great white sharks lurking off the North Carolina coast.

Nukumi, a great white weighing in at 3,541 pounds, was tracked off the coast of Wilmington Thursday morning. The adult female shark was tagged in early October in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, and measures 17 feet, 2 inches, according to OCEARCH.

"Nukumi, pronounced noo-goo-mee, is named after the legendary wise old grandmother figure of the Native American Mi'kmaq people, a culture that has deep roots in Canadian Maritime provinces (particularly Nova Scotia)," the organization said. "With the new data we've collected, this matriarch will share her wisdom with us for years to come. She will continue to help balance fish stocks in the surrounding waters, and we look forward to learning more from this wise guardian of our ocean's eco-system."

Since her tagging, Nukumi has logged nearly 2,203 miles.

A second great white, a nearly 9-foot long, 400-pound juvenile named Gladee, was tracked further north off the North Carolina coast Wednesday, near Avon, North Carolina. Like Nukumi, Gladee was tagged in early October in Nova Scota, and has traveled 3,158 miles since.

"Gladee is the fifth animal sampled during the Expedition Nova Scotia," OCEARCH said. "There is an epic legend of Gladee's Canteen, a famous restaurant run by Gladee and her sister, that is a special example of a co-operative and communal spirit on a very dynamic beach. It's a popular Nova Scotia story about a pioneer family who, against odds, brought revelations to the isolated coastal community. The story reminds us of our own collaborative team, and the dynamic life on the ship today."

You can track Nukumi and Gladee, along with other sharks here.