About one million large sharks live in Canada’s Atlantic waters. During a typical summer, the total number rises to an astonishing 200 million when you account for sharks of all size and seasonal visitors.

With this many sharks in the waters, you would’ve thought it would be hard to stand out. But when a satellite-tagged great white dubbed Lydia showed up on radar screens as being off the coast of Newfoundland last fall.

The great white shark is uncommonly found off the Atlantic Coast. There have been 40 confirmed sightings. Lydia is the first one to have been tagged and appeared in Canadian waters.

So far, Lydia doesn’t seem to want to leave. Normally great-whites migrate for warmer waters in the summer, but Lydia was still off the coast of Cape Cod in February. Why is she sticking around? Scientists believe it is due to her life cycles, travelling more than 28,000 kilometres in anticipation for breeding season.

Scientists can’t say for sure, but they’re currently tracking 24 great whites, 6 of which have appeared in Canadian waters. They’re hoping by tracking their migration patterns, they’ll be able to find more about a great white’s life cycle.

Read more about the plight of Lydia, the oldest living shark in the world, in Canadian Wildlife magazine.

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