Great White Spotted Off South Padre Island Shore

South Padre Island is one of the most sought-after spring destinations in the state. According to some surveys, South Padre is the number one spring break destination for Texans. That being said, with thousands planning to head south for spring break, the news of a great white shark being spotted 100 yards away could very well change things.

Let me introduce you to Lee Beth! Lee Beth is a 14-foot 3000-pound great white shark that was first tagged by scientists off the coast of the Carolinas last year. It appears that she has traveled over 2,000 miles to the Texas Gulf Coast just in time for Spring Break.

Lee Beth's tag first pinged off the tip of the South Padre Island coast but later pinged again about 100 yards offshore. It doesn't take a scientist to figure out that she could pose a real threat to spring break beachgoers on South Padre Island.

According to Dr. Kelsey Banks, a scientist for the Sport Fish Center at the Harte Research Institute on the campus of Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, this is only the second time in about 10 years that a great white shark has been spotted off the Texas Coast.

The news of a great white shark in these Texas waters is something that doesn't happen often but sharks are no stranger to the Gulf of Mexico and Texas waters. The Harte Research Institute has seen many shortfin mako sharks, and tiger and hammerhead sharks all off the coast of South Padre Island. They also have their own tagging system where you can keep track of these sharks. Currently, they have tagged 18 mako sharks and a few tiger and hammerheads. You can keep track of the HERE! 

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