The Largest Great White Sharks Ever Found in Virginia Waters

Great white sharks are fascinating animals. They’ve been the focus of many stories, movies, and television shows. Although these large predators are labeled as aggressive and bloodthirsty, this isn’t the case. Great white shark attacks are rare and they don’t actively hunt humans. Although they are not as commonly seen as other species, great white sharks do frequently swim off the coast of Virginia. Follow along to learn more about the largest great white sharks ever found off Virginia waters.

Are Great White Sharks Common in Virginia Waters?

Great white sharks are found throughout the world. They travel long distances during their seasonal migrations, sometimes covering entire oceans. The non-profit organization OCEARCH tracks sharks as they navigate the ocean to see where they go and when. Each shark is tagged by researchers and then released. When the shark surfaces, the tracker transmits a signal to satellites to let researchers know their location.

Although there have been some great white shark sightings and tracker pings in Virginia waters, they are uncommon. Instead, the most common sharks in Virginia waters are dusky sharks, smooth dogfish, Atlantic sharp-nose sharks, spinner sharks, scalloped hammerhead sharks, and bull sharks.

The Largest Great White Sharks Ever Found in Virginia Waters

Great white sharks are very large fish. Female great whites are larger than males. Most female great white sharks reach between 15 and 16 feet but can grow up to 20 feet long. Male great white sharks typically stop growing between 11 and 13 feet, which is still very impressive.

As we noted above, sightings are rare in Virginia, but they do occur. The following sharks have been mapped near Virginia. So follow along to discover the largest great white sharks ever found in Virginia waters, ranked by weight.

Scot – 1,644 pounds

Scot is the largest shark that has been pinged off the coast of Virginia. He is a 12-foot adult male shark weighing about 1,644 pounds. Scot was originally tagged on September 8, 2021, in Ironbound Island, Nova Scotia. He has traveled 20,463 miles in 1348 days. Scot has been tracked near Virginia several times. He was mapped near Mockhorn Island in November of 2021 and June of 2022. He was also mapped near Parramore Island on November 16, 2022. His most recent ping was near Knott’s Island, close to the North Carolina and Virginia border, on July 7, 2025. Scot spends most of his time in the Carolinas and Florida, but he often passes by the Chesapeake Bay area.

Ferg – 1,621 Pounds

Ferg is a male, 11-foot 8-inch shark that weighs 1,621 pounds. He was first tagged on September 30, 2019, in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia. Within 1,170 days, this large predator traveled about 5,957 miles. Ferg was near the The Plum Tree Island National Wildlife Refuge in Poquoson, Virginia in October 2019. He was also near Virginia Beach in April 2020. His most recent ping was close to Knott’s Island near the Virginia and North Carolina border on December 12, 2022. This shark has traveled from Nova Scotia down to South Florida near the Keys.

Breton – 1,437 Pounds

Breton is a male great white shark that measures about 13 feet and 3 inches. He weighs 1,437 pounds and was first tagged on September 12, 2020, in Scatarie Island, Nova Scotia. Breton travels long distances and mainly stays near the Carolinas down to Florida. However, he was been pinged near Back Bay, Virginia on March 3, 2023. Previously, Breton was pinged on March 21, 2021, near Mockhorn Island. His latest ping on August 6, 2025 placed him near the New England Seamounts in the North Atlantic. Breton has traveled 48,208 miles over the course of 1,790 days.

Carolina – 1,435 Pounds

One of the largest sharks spotted or pinged in Virginia waters is Caroline, a female sub-adult great white shark measuring 12 feet and 9 inches. She weighs about 1,435 pounds. Caroline was tagged on February 26, 2019, in Hilton Head, South Carolina. In 2,078 days, she’s traveled 21,324 miles. Caroline was pinged near the Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge on August 18, 2019. She also passed near the Virginia Beach area in November 2023. Her latest ping was on November 4, 2024 near the Bahamas.

Freya – 883 Pounds

Like other great white sharks on our list, Freya rarely ventures very close to Virginia. However, on June 23, 2022, she was pinged near the Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge as she passed the Virginia coast. Freya is a female sub-adult that measures 11 feet and 8 inches long. She weighs 883 pounds and is very active. Freya was first tagged on March 25, 2021, in Onslow Bay. In just 663 days, Freya has swum 8,550 miles. Her most recent ping was January 17, 2023 near Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

Tancook – 715 Pounds

Another large great white found in Virginia waters is Tancook. He is a 9-foot and 9-inch juvenile great white that weighs 715 pounds. Tancook was first tagged on September 22, 2021, in Ironbound Island, Nova Scotia. Tancook was pinged near Virginia Beach on October 23, 2022. His most recent ping on April 8, 2023, indicates he was last traveling off the coast of North Carolina near Raleigh Bay. In 564 days, Tancook has traveled 8,674 miles.

Miss May – 846 Pounds

Last but not least is Miss May, a female great white measuring 10 feet and 2 inches long and weighing 846 pounds. Miss May was first tagged on February 15, 2019, in Fernandina Beach, Florida. Like other great whites on our list, she spends a lot of time in the Carolinas and South Florida. Unlike other great whites though, she has visited Virginia’s coast several times. On June 29, 2019, and October 21, 2020, Miss May was pinged near the Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge. On November 11, 2020, she was also pinged near Mockhorn Island, and she frequently passes near the Chesapeake Bay area. In 2,094 days, Miss May has traveled 17,654 miles. Her latest ping was on November 24, 2024, in the waters off the North Carolina and Virginia border.

Summary of the Largest Great White Sharks Ever Found in Virginia Waters