Shark's 23,000-Mile Journey Uncovers Surprising Transoceanic Connections

In a remarkable discovery, a long-lost great white shark tag has revealed the stunning 23,000-mile journey of a young female shark named Alisha. Alisha was tagged by researchers off the coast of South Africa in 2012, with the goal of studying her movements within the southern African region. However, over the next four years, Alisha's journey would take an unexpected turn.

Alisha resurfaced in Indonesia in 2016, surprising scientists who had previously assumed that South African great white sharks were completely isolated from shark populations in Asian and Australian waters. For years, her tag's silence had left researchers unsure of her fate, until it was finally returned by an Indonesian fisherman in 2024.

Tragically, Alisha's journey came to an end when she became entangled in the fisherman's longline gear in 2016. Mistaken for a mako shark, the fisherman kept the tag hidden for nearly a decade, fearing repercussions for the bycatch. It was only after a local non-profit organization offered a reward that the tag was returned to scientists, providing "rare evidence of transoceanic connectivity" between great white shark populations.

Alisha's remarkable journey highlights the urgent need for international conservation efforts and a shared responsibility toward protecting these vulnerable apex predators, who face numerous threats such as bycatch, overfishing, and habitat impacts.