Track Great White Sharks and More With This Interactive Map

Just before 5:00 p.m. on June 7 of this year, Contender was hanging out off the coast of North Carolina’s Outer Banks.

Contender is a great white shark—and not just any great white shark. Weighing 1653 pounds and measuring nearly 14 feet long, he’s the largest male ever tagged by the nonprofit OCEARCH in the Western North Atlantic. (His June 7 location was far enough from land for beachgoers to swim without fear, for what it’s worth.)

This particular behemoth is one of many specimens that OCEARCH is tracking to gain insight into the behavior and movement of marine life; the organization partners with scientific institutions to conduct research in the service of conservation and safety. In their own words, “Our mission is to accelerate the ocean’s return to balance and abundance through fearless innovations in scientific research, education, outreach, and policy using unique collaborations of individuals and organizations in the U.S. and abroad.”

Part of that work is, for the average internet surfer, pretty fun—because OCEARCH has an interactive map where you can follow your favorite sea creatures as they cruise across the globe. The map features nearly 400 sharks (more than 120 great whites alone), dozens of sea turtles, and a handful of seals, dolphins, swordfish, and alligators. Each specimen has a name: There’s a Guadalupe fur seal named Dr. Brent, for example, and a 11.5-foot-long great white named Louise. You can filter by species, tagging location, age, and more.

In addition to showing you the animal’s travel pattern since it was first tagged, the map also might include some intel about the animal itself. Take the tiger shark Morada: She’s named for Islamorada, Florida, which she was first tagged near in April of this year. Morada has covered more than 2000 miles in the last 80 days or so—and she’s pregnant.

Explore the map here to find out which sea creatures happen to be closest to your home or vacation spot.

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