Great white shark tracked across Atlantic for first time, researchers say

(Ocearch.org Facebook)

A great white shark named "Lydia" is now the first known shark to swim from one side of the Atlantic Ocean to the other.

Fox affiliate KCPQ, citing researchers with Ocearch.org, reported that the 14-foot, 2,000-pound Lydia has covered more than 19,400 miles to date.

The giant shark was tagged with a GPS-tracking device off Jacksonville, Fla., as part of an Ocearch scientific project, which is being led by Gregory Skomal, senior fisheries biologist with the Massachusetts Marine Fisheries, according to Ocearch.org. Lydia, who was tagged in Jacksonville one year ago, is now headed toward either Ireland or Britain, Ocearch.org. announced on its Facebook page.

Lydia reportedly crossed the mid-Atlantic Ridge — the rough boundary between east and west — Sunday morning.

"Truly a momentous occasion, Lydia has etched her place in the history of Atlantic white shark research and showed the power and value of spot tagging. She is single-handedly raising awareness around the world,” John Chisholm, fisheries biologist at the Massachusetts Shark Research Program, said in a posting on the Ocearch Facebook page.

"Lydia’s remarkable transocean journey reminds us that no one locality, state or nation owns these remarkable migrators of the sea. If we are to save the sharks, we have an obligation not only to protect them in our waters, but also to work with other countries towards global conservation of sharks," added Bob Hueter, of Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium.

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