Ironbound the 1,000lb Great White Shark Tracked Just Off Cape Cod

Ironbound, the huge great white shark weighing 1,000 pounds, has been tracked just off the coast of Cape Cod.

The tracking comes as the Atlantic population of great white sharks start making their way south on their annual migration.

According to a tracker from Ocean research organization OCEARCH, Ironbound, who measures 12 feet and four inches, is not far from the Pollock Rip shoal, about three miles of the Monomoy Island—a spit of sand extending southwest from Cape Cod.

This population of great white sharks migrate along the U.S. south coast, on their migration south for the winter.

The sharks spend a large portion of their summer and autumn in the areas around Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland, while their winters are spent off the coasts of Florida, Georgia, and South and North Carolina.

"Most, but not all, species of highly mobile sharks in the Northern hemisphere move southward in the winter as they are following their food," Gavin Naylor, Director at the Florida Program for Shark Research, told Newsweek.

"Indeed, food availability drives a lot of animal movement. Sometimes sharks move inshore to drop pups if they are live bearing or egg cases, if they lay eggs, to provide a more secure environment for their young."

Naylor said some other species of sharks like Porbeagle sharks and basking sharks avoid equatorial waters as they can make a better living in polar waters.

Two other white sharks are also in the area. A 10-foot female known as Hali is offshore near Cape Cod, while juvenile shark Tancock is in the Gulf of Maine.

OCEARCH said on Facebook that both of these sharks were tagged in Nova since last year. Since then, they've traveled over 5,000 miles.

"We're excited to see more of our sharks begin their transition south for the winter in the coming weeks," OCEARCH said on Facebook.

Great white sharks are a well-known visitor to the Cape Cod coast. They are attracted to the area by its abundance of harbor seals, which are their preferred prey.

While some sharks are starting their journey south, not all sharks have started moving.

Many sharks still remain in the North, off the coast of Canada. On October 16, a great white shark with blood coming out of its nostrils was pictured on a New Brunswick beach.

It is not certain what happened to the shark, or how it died. The 868-pound fish was carried off by officials for investigation.

In the coming weeks, it is likely more great white sharks will begin to make their journey south.