Florida
2 great white sharks tagged by OCEARCH tracked off Florida, near Marco Island
Great white sharks in Florida: Why are they here? What to know
North Atlantic great white sharks spend winters off the southeast U.S., from South Carolina to Florida and the Gulf of Mexico. Here’s why.
Two toothy visitors were tracked to the waters off the Southwest Florida coast over the weekend.
Keji, a 9-foot 7-inch great white shark, pinged far off Marco Island Friday at 1:59 p.m. On Sunday at 11:55 a.m., a 9-foot 6-inch white shark named Simon pinged near the same location.
Their travels are recorded via satellite tags attached to their dorsal fins by OCEARCH researchers. When a tag breaks the water’s surface, location information is transmitted to trackers.
Simon was known to travel 4,000 miles with an 8-foot shark “buddy” named Jekyll, surprising scientists who previously believed sharks preferred only solitude.
But it looks like they may have parted ways. Jekyll’s tracker shows him pinging off Jacksonville on Feb. 4. Jekyll also pinged off South Carolina less than a day before Simon was tracked off Florida’s Treasure Coast on Jan. 20.
Here’s what to know about Keji, Simon, OCEARCH and white sharks in Florida:
What we know about OCEARCH white shark Keji
Keji was tagged by OCEARCH near Ironbound Island Nova Scotia on Sep. 22, 2021. At the time, the male juvenile white shark measured 9 feet 7 inches and weighed in at 578 pounds. White sharks can grow up to 20 feet long, though most are smaller with males averaging 11-13 feet.
Keji was named after the Kejimkujik National Park and National Historic Site in the region where he was tagged, according to OCEARCH.
He is no stranger to Florida. According to his tracked pings, Keji was near the Florida Keys on Dec. 13, southeast of St. Augustine on Nov. 30 and made his way to the Panhandle in early 2023. He also paid visits during the winters of 2021 and 2022.
More about great white shark Simon
Simon was caught and tagged off St. Simon’s Island, Georgia on Dec. 4, 2022, during OCEARCH Expedition Southbound.
At the time he was considered a juvenile shark, measuring 9-foot 6 inches and weighing 434 pounds.
Simon was named after St. Simon’s Island, where OCEARCH met him.
Simon recently pinged off Vero Beach on Jan. 17 and near Stuart on Jan. 20.
Why are great white sharks in Florida?
White sharks swim south when the water gets too cold for them and they lack food sources up north, according to OCEARCH chief scientist Dr. Bob Hueter.
Think of them as the snowbirds of sharks.
Most of them tend to hang out away from the beaches in the continental shelf waters, Hueter said.
What is OCEARCH?
OCEARCH is a nonprofit organization researching the ocean’s giants.
The group is recently finished up its 46th expedition, dubbed Expedition Southeast. It departed from Jacksonville on Nov. 17 and is made its final docking in Morehead City, North Carolina on Dec. 15.
There are about 100 documented shark attacks around the globe each year and Florida is home to most of those.
While Florida has the most attacks, South Africa has the most shark-related fatalities.
Since 1992, there have been 1,232 shark bites worldwide, according to data from floridapanhandle.com, with white sharks credited as the top biters.
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A massive wildfire in Putnam County in northern Florida left Amtrak passengers stranded on a train for more than 24 hours.
One train heading to New York City was forced to turn around, arriving back in Miami Monday night, including one passenger who said he had been on that train for about 38 hours.
He says he and other passengers were left uncertain about what was going on.
“Angry, confused, uncertain, in the dark,” said John Reardon.
Reardon, who lives in New York City, says he boarded the train around 7 a.m. Sunday to go back home. He said around 3 p.m. Sunday, the train stopped near Jacksonville.
“Finally, after about 5 hours, they said we’re not going to New York, we’re going back to Miami,” Reardon said. “One stop at a time.”
Amtrak said for the safety of its passengers, the train couldn’t continue going north because of the fire.
“Amtrak sends a notification to the phone saying, ‘Hey, there’s an issue with the wildfire, it’s too close to the railway,’” said passenger Katrinia Wheeler.
Multiple crews are battling multiple fires in two Florida counties, leaving at least 3,000 acres burned.
“I saw that there was a lot of smoke coming from the woods, and then I saw the fire trucks and emergency services,” Wheeler said.
The train that left Miami at 7 a.m. on Sunday returned around 9 p.m. on Monday, leaving passengers frustrated.
Amtrak corporate says they made the decision out of safety for their customers and said customers would receive full refunds and vouchers.
The Florida Lottery offers several draw games for those hoping to win one of the available jackpots.
Here’s a look at the winning numbers for games played on Sunday, April 19, 2026.
Winning Fantasy 5 numbers from April 19 drawing
Midday: 06-09-19-34-35
Evening: 08-09-12-25-31
Check Fantasy 5 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Cash Pop numbers from April 19 drawing
Morning: 03
Matinee: 08
Afternoon: 04
Evening: 01
Late Night: 07
Check Cash Pop payouts and previous drawings here.
Powerball, Mega Millions jackpots: What to know in case you win
Here’s what to know in case you win the Powerball or Mega Millions jackpot.
Just the FAQs, USA TODAY
Winning Pick 2 numbers from April 19 drawing
Midday: 4-0, FB: 3
Evening: 0-6, FB: 6
Check Pick 2 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 3 numbers from April 19 drawing
Midday: 2-9-1, FB: 3
Evening: 3-7-0, FB: 6
Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 4 numbers from April 19 drawing
Midday: 9-7-8-0, FB: 3
Evening: 3-6-7-8, FB: 6
Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 5 numbers from April 19 drawing
Midday: 3-9-3-5-1, FB: 3
Evening: 1-3-1-8-7, FB: 6
Check Pick 5 payouts and previous drawings here.
Where can you buy Florida Lottery tickets?
Tickets can be purchased in person at any authorized retailer throughout Florida, including gas stations, convenience stores and grocery stores. To find a retailer near you, go to Find Florida Lottery Retailers.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your prize
- Prizes of $599 or less: Claim at any authorized Florida Lottery retailer or Florida Lottery district office.
- Prizes for $600 to $1 million: Must be claimed in person at any Florida Lottery district office for games that do not offer an annual payment option.
- Prizes greater than $1 million and all prizes with an annual payment option: Must be claimed at Florida Lottery headquarters, except Mega Millions and Powerball prizes, which can be claimed at any Florida Lottery district office.
You also can claim your winnings by mail if the prize is $250,000 or less. Mail your ticket to the Florida Lottery with the required documentation.
Florida law requires public disclosure of winners
If you’re a winner, Florida law mandates the following information is public record:
- Full name
- City of residence
- Game won
- Date won
- Amount won
- Name and location of the retailer where the winning ticket was purchased.
When are the Florida Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 10:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 11 p.m. Tuesday and Friday.
- Florida Lotto: 11:15 p.m. Wednesday and Saturday.
- Jackpot Triple Play: 11:15 p.m. Tuesday and Friday.
- Fantasy 5: Daily at 1:05 p.m. and 11:15 p.m.
- Cash Pop: Daily at 8:45 a.m., 11:45 a.m., 2:45 p.m., 6:45 p.m. and 11:45 p.m.
- Pick 2, 3, 4, 5: Daily at 1:30 p.m. and 9:45 p.m.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Florida digital producer. You can send feedback using this form.
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