Research Team Searching For Great White Sharks In Expedition Off Montauk Coast
MONTAUK, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- A research team is taking part in a shark expedition off the coast of Montauk where it is believed that great white sharks give birth to their young.
CBS2's Raegan Medgie joined the maiden mission Ocearch vessel for the expedition to search for great whites.
Last Friday, a 4-foot long, 50-pound female white shark was caught and named Montauk. In the same water the next day a 5-foot long male, weighing nearly 70 pounds was captured and named Hudson.
"This is the first male shark we caught and I believe will be tagged in the North Atlantic history," said Ocearch founder Chris Fischer.
Ocearch is a global shark research organization where scientists are focused on finding juvenile white sharks in the water around Montauk.
Their mission is to capture sharks, collect samples, tag with GPS-tracking devices, and then release them back into the wild.
"We've been targeting right up on the beach where we've – in the past – where we've caught juvenile white shark," said Ocearch captain Brett McBride. "What we consider a typical nursery is real close to shore."
Everyone on board were excited about the findings.
"It's like a dream come true," said Hans Walters of the New York Aquarium. "I'm the little kid that always wanted to work with sharks."
"It's a tremendous feeling," said Dr. Matthew Ajemian of the Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute.
Once the shark is delivered to the boat, that's when a shark lift is put into action. The lift goes into the water and that's when a team of scientists go to the shark, take several samples and attach a tracking device to the fin.
"We're all kind of working like a pit crew to take as much data as we can for all of our fellow scientists," said Ajemian. "We're all working together to take measurements and various tissue samples that can tell us about the health of the shark, too."
The tracking device helps Ocearch and the public follow the shark's every move.
"Together we wait for the first ping and everyone can do that on Ocearch.org," said Fischer. "We're in it together now, we're going to figure out our baby white shark puzzle together."
Understanding that puzzle is important because sharks are considered the lions of the ocean, critical to keeping the ecosystem of the seas in balance.
People can follow both Montauk and Hudson using the Ocearch shark tracker.