The 1,400lbs (100st) predator, nicknamed Breton, has been heading south this summer despite other great whites swimming north for cooler waters and more food.
Each summer, great whites usually follow the same pattern, travelling from the Gulf of Mexico and along Florida's coast to migrate up the Atlantic towards Canada. Breton's movements have been a complete break from the rest of the pack.
On July 25, the apex predator was tracked "paving his own path down south" and his tracker "pinged" near the popular tourist spot of Daytona Beach.
Tracker ping near Daytona Beach
The shark's tracker, monitored by OCEARCH, transmitted a locating "ping" signal when his dorsal fin was exposed above the water's surface for long enough.
John Tyminki, a data scientist at the non-profit, said seasonal food sources and cooler water temperatures are part of why sharks migrate north during the summer. He added that this was not the first time this particular shark has shocked scientists.
'Breton always surprises us'
Tyminki said: "Breton always surprises us. He was tagged September 11, 2020, so it is going on nearly six years.
"Our estimate is that he has travelled more than 52,000 miles. He has gone in shore and off shore and because he is a mature male he is showing us useful patterns. Right now he is off the East coast of Florida as of July 25 in the Gulf stream.
"Usually our understanding is that great white sharks at this time are in Canada or Cape Cod because of the seals and the water temperature. Yet Breton has gone somewhere different.
"We wondered, isn't the water temperature too warm for him to be there? His tag also sends us temperature data and where he is, it is on the warm side for white sharks, at 80 degrees Fahrenheit."
Why Breton broke the pattern
Scientists said they do not know why Breton has chosen to go against the grain. Tyminki added: "He is probably spending his time a lot deeper down where the water is colder. Our guess is that Breton is following seasonal schools of fish. He continues to surprise us and is amazing."
Separate shark sighting off Portugal
This comes after a huge shark, thought to possibly be a great white, was spotted circling a boat in Portugal on July 25. The predator was seen around two nautical miles off the coast of Nazaré, an area famous for surfing.
A video of the moment was uploaded by a boat-tour company with the caption: "This morning, between São Martinho do Porto and Nazaré, about 2MN from land, we spotted a large shark during a walk."
