Real-Life 'Jaws' Off Hamptons: Massive Great White Shark Being Tracked (VIDEO)
A real-life "Jaws" has been seen off the Hamptons, with the massive shark reportedly being named "Mary Lee," and sightings suggesting it would weigh in at about 3,500 pounds.
Mary Lee is reportedly a Great White Shark, and is being tracked by OCEARCH. It was recently seen swimming in waters about 45 miles off the coast of Montauk Point on Wednesday afternoon.
The Hamptons had an irregular summer in 2012, with many more shark sightings reported than usual due to warmer than usual waters, according to The Atlantic Wire.
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Although some media reports have labeled Mary Lee a "real life Jaws" - a reference to the popular Steven Spielberg movies featuring a shark that terrorizes the U.S. coast - the reality is that as this Great White has been spotted in February, it is unlikely to be able to terrorize the coast like the shark in the cult film. Not many people are venturing into the colder waters at this time of year, so the wave of fear as seen in the movie has not materialized among beach-goers.
Those tracking the huge shark have also said that she is swimming away from the coast, meaning it is highly unlikely she will come into contact with any beach-goers brave enough to venture out into the sea.
OCEARCH claims that it has been tracking Mary Lee for a long time now, and first tagged her back in September 2012. They report that the Great White traveled down to the Florida region in January as the waters got cooler over Christmas. However, since then she has started making her way back northwards.
Great White Sharks are known for being the largest predatory fish in the sea, and live along the coasts of most continents except Antarctica.
Great Whites also typically live for around 25 years, and is well known for being able to devour Sea Lions whole. Despite the fear surrounding the huge sharks, they rarely attack humans, and experts suggest that usually when they do it's because they have mistaken them for seals - their usual prey.
After a big meal Great Whites have been known to go as long as three months without needing to feed again. It is also interesting to note that Great White Shark meat is not recommended for human consumption as it contains such high levels of mercury, it would potentially be unhealthy for humans to consume.
Here is a video listing "10 things you did not know about sharks":
