Great white shark pinged off the coast of Kitty Hawk, NC
A 533-pound great white shark has been identified in coastal waters off of Kitty Hawk, NC. The great white shark, named “Cabot,” is 9’8” and was tagged in Nova Scotia. The shark pinged off of the coast of Kitty Hawk on November 13 just after 8pm. Great whites are often found in the coastal North Carolina waters as they migrate up and down the Atlantic coast.
Scientists originally thought that Cabot pinged in the Albemarle Sound, located inside of the Outer Banks. The last time a shark swam inside of the Albemarle Sound was in 2017, when a 300-pound tiger shark entered those waters. An updated ping the following day, however, showed Cabot on the outside of the Outer Banks near Kitty Hawk.
Maryland welcomes its first national marine sanctuary
Maryland’s Mallows Bay has officially become a national marine sanctuary by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Mallows Bay is located along the Potomac River and is an 18-square-mile stretch of water that houses the submerged remains of vessels dating as far back as the American Revolution.
This is the first national marine sanctuary designated in the past 19 years. In total, there are 13 national marine sanctuaries, which make up a network of “underwater parks” encompassing more than 600,000-square miles of water.
California man finds antique rifle while out for a hike
Chalk this up as another bizarre find by an astute hiker. Joey Sammut of Laguna Beach, CA, was out hiking with friend on a trail near his neighborhood when he spotted a metal object sticking out of the ground. “[It] looked like a pair of gardening shears to me,” Sammut said in a recent interview. But when he reached down to pick the object up it was heavier than he was anticipating. Further investigation revealed a barrel, trigger and hammer. Sammut turned to his friend and said, “Oh my God, is this a gun?”
It turns out that Sammut had discovered an 1894 Winchester rifle. After tracking down a few digits of the serial number, he was able to date the gun between 1896 and 1908. While it’s unknown why the gun was buried in the ground or whom it belonged to, Sammut says he feels lucky to have found the mysterious rifle. “It’s just been a very amazing experience to be able to find an old relic that people have literally walked past God knows how many times,” he said. “I’m the person who found it. I feel like I hit the lotto.”
