Jeff Crilly and his friends were participating in a mako shark fishing tournament off the Jersey Coast when a different kind of shark came by for a snack of chum. Yes, they’re gonna need a bigger boat. John Chisholm, a shark expert at the Massachusetts Division of Fish and Wildlife, estimates the 16- to 18-foot Great White weighs as much as 3,500 pounds.
From the Asbury Park Press:
Chisholm keeps a running database of great white sharks he’s identified by certain features, such as markings. Crilly’s shark had white markings on its gills, which Chisholm found no matches for in the hundreds of sharks logged in the database.
“She wasn’t in there. I was able to determine it was a new shark and if we ever see it again, we’ll be able to identify her,” Chisholm said.
Chisholm invited Crilly to name the animal and he dubbed her Sherri. After his mom.