14-Foot Great White Shark Surprises Fishing Crew Near Port Canaveral, Could It Be Katharine?

By  //  December 20, 2016

Last PING RECORDED NOVEMBER 6

ABOVE VIDEO: Tagging of the Great White Shark ‘Katharine’ by Ocearch in 2013.

PORT CANAVERAL, FLORIDA – A Florida crew on a deep sea fishing adventure got the surprise of their life this week when they reeled in what the captain called “the biggest shark” he’s ever seen.

Captain Craig Shaffer of Orlando Princess and Canaveral Princess Deep Sea Fishing was on an expedition off the coast of Port Canaveral fishing in over 100 feet of water when the crew spotted a 14-foot great white shark.

According to the company on its Facebook page they were bottom fishing when they caught the shark. The great white got to the surface and swam alongside the boat, but then broke off the hook and swam away.

The 14-foot shark could possibly be Katharine, a regular visitor to Brevard County’s coasts around this time of year.

Katharine last pinged on the OCEARCH profile page back on November 6. She was nearly parallel with St. Augustine, Florida, 60 miles off the coast.

Katharine, a 14-foot great white shark,  was tagged by OCEARCH, a non-profit organization devoted to researching apex predators in the ocean in August of 2013.

Katharine, who was tagged off Cape Cod, Massachusetts, was named by Cat Products fans in honor of Katharine Lee Bates, a Cape Cod native and songwriter – best known for her poem and song “America The Beautiful”, which has been called “an expression of patriotism at its finest.”

Species: White Shark (Carcharodon carcharias) Gender: Female: Stage of Life: Immature: Length: 14 ft. 2 in. Weight: 2,300 lb. Tag Date: Aug 20, 2013 Tag Location: Cape Cod: Share link: www.ocearch.org/profile/katharine/ : Total travel: 28813.678 miles
Scientists: More Great Whites Are Migrating Off FloridaRelated Story:
Scientists: More Great Whites Are Migrating Off Florida

WOFL FOX 35 contributed to this story.

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Captain Craig Shaffer of Orlando Princess and Canaveral Princess Deep Sea Fishing was on an expedition off the coast of Port Canaveral fishing in over 100 feet of water when the crew spotted a 14-foot great white shark.