Great white shark Breton tracked off Florida as US shark sightings surge this summer

Marine biologists have reported an unprecedented number of shark sightings along both the East and West coasts of the United States this summer, a trend they say may be linked to rising ocean temperatures driven by El Niño and broader climate warming.

One of the most notable cases is the 1,400‑pound great white shark known as Breton. Tagged by the nonprofit OCEARCH in September 2020 off Nova Scotia, Breton has unexpectedly moved south, pinging off the eastern coast of Florida in July 2026 where surface waters reached 87 °F. Scientists note that while great whites prefer cooler water, they can dive hundreds of meters to find suitable depths, and Breton may be following schools of pelagic fish. The unusual migration underscores the complexity of white‑shark behavior and highlights how changing sea temperatures could affect marine predator patterns.

Experts from the Long Island Aquarium and California State University’s Shark Lab suggest that continued monitoring will improve understanding of these shifts and inform public safety measures for beachgoers.