Great white shark tracked in Gulf of Mexico

BOCA GRANDE — Scientists say the satellite tag for a great white shark has appeared in the Gulf of Mexico off Florida’s west coast.

In this undated file publicity image provided by Discovery Channel, a great white shark swims near Guadalupe Island off the coast of Mexico. Scientists say the satellite tag for a great white shark has appeared in the Gulf of Mexico off Florida’s west coast.

Ocearch, a non-profit organization that researches and tracks sharks, reports that “Betsy,” a 12-foot, 1,400-pound female, was found swimming about 63 miles off Boca Grande on April 25.

The shark was tagged during an August 2013 Ocearch expedition off Cape Cod. The expedition included scientists from Mote Marine Laboratory, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries.

Researchers say “Betsy” dropped off the radar shortly after she was captured and released, staying underwater where her satellite tag wouldn’t trigger a location signal.

When her tag pinged on Friday, “Betsy” became the first great white shark from one of Ocearch’s Atlantic Ocean expeditions to be tracked in the Gulf of Mexico.