Researchers Pursue ‘Big Rose’, Giant Great White Shark in North Atlantic

Marine scientists led by Dr. Neil Hammerschlag are tracking a giant great white shark nicknamed “Big Rose.” Estimated at about 20 feet long and weighing over three tonnes, the female predator is thought to be one of the largest white sharks ever recorded in the North Atlantic and may be more than 50 years old.

During Discovery Channel’s Shark Week the team deployed large tuna bait and satellite‑tagging equipment around Mud Island, tagging several other large whites—including a 16‑foot female called “Sweetheart”—but Big Rose consistently evaded capture. The expedition noted a sharp rise in sightings of massive white sharks between Cape Cod and Nova Scotia over the past decade, prompting heightened scientific interest.

Although the researchers successfully tagged four sharks and gathered movement data, the elusive “Big Rose” remained out of reach, highlighting the challenges of studying highly mobile apex predators in deep‑water Atlantic habitats.