Great white sharks showing up in ‘crazy’ numbers off Carolina coast

A fishy number of great white sharks have appeared off the coast of the Carolinas in recent days.

More than nine great whites were tracked along the normally tourist-friendly coast, according to a report from the Charlotte Observer.

The sharks were tracked by OCEARCH, which tagged the famous animals for research purposes, the report said. The trackers found eight sharks off the coast of North and South Carolina within just five days, including two that were more than 12 feet long.

It was part of a “crazy” weekend for sharks making appearances all along the eastern seaboard, OCEARCH wrote in a Facebook post.

To show up on satellite tracking, a shark’s fin needs to surface above water; the longer the fin is above water, the stronger the signal. According to the Observer report, experts had no idea why so many sharks clustered along the Carolinas in November. While unlikely, if they were interested in watching Kyle Allen and the Panthers, they likely decided to head out shortly after Sunday’s 29-3 loss to the Atlanta Falcons.

Sharks have long enjoyed the Carolina coast, not for its beautiful views and warm weather, but because of the bountiful food that comes with the Gulf Stream, the report said. However, they don’t often show up in such large numbers.