New Jersey

11-foot great white shark named ‘Dold’ surfaces off popular NJ beach coast — on ‘Jaws’ anniversary

Published

6 months ago

June 22, 2025

11-foot great white shark named ‘Dold’ surfaces off popular NJ beach coast — on ‘Jaws’ anniversary

Spielberg couldn’t have scripted it better.

An 11-foot great white shark named “Dold” made a surprise cameo off a popular stretch of New Jersey’s beach coast Friday — the 50th anniversary of the premiere of “Jaws.”

The 761-pound predator, which had been tagged by researchers at OCEARCH, sent a satellite “ping” in the early morning about 40 miles off Monmouth County, which boasts beaches such as Long Branch, Asbury Park and Spring Lake, the Asbury Park Press reported.

Dold’s appearance overlapped with the 50th anniversary of the Hollywood shark thriller “Jaws,” which was famously directed by Steven Spielberg and premiered on June 20, 1975.

The shark, who is named after SeaWorld conservationist Christopher Dold, was first tagged in February near the Florida-Georgia border after being briefly held on a research vessel, according to OCEARCH.

A satellite tag was placed on Dold’s dorsal fin, and an acoustic device was tucked inside his body to allow researchers to track his movements, according to the outlet.

Researchers described the shark about 25 years old — not quite an adult yet — and said he could grow up to 18 feet.

The 761-pound predator, which had been tagged by researchers at OCEARCH, sent a satellite “ping” in the early morning about 40 miles off Monmouth County. ocearch.org

Underwater photo of an 11-foot great white shark, Dold, tagged by OCEARCH. — Dold was first tagged in February near the Florida-Georgia border after being briefly held on a research vessel. ocearch.org

Since being tagged, Dold swam south to the gulf of Florida and curved back north in May to cruise along the East Coast as part of his seasonal migration, the nonprofit documented.

His dorsal “ping” occurs when his fin breaks the ocean surface long enough — or for about 90 seconds — for a satellite to capture it, researchers said.

The nonprofit has tagged more than 100 great white sharks in the past 15 years, the outlet said.

Dold’s weight is nothing compared to some sharks previously tagged by the organization, such as Contender, a 1,653-pound bruiser last seen near the East Coast’s Outer Banks, or Nukumi, a 3,541-pound female who hasn’t pinged since 2021.

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New Jersey

NJ casino workers continue push to end smoking loophole

Published

5 hours ago

December 16, 2025

Press Room

NJ casino workers continue push to end smoking loophole

TRENTON, N.J. (WPVI) — New Jersey casino workers, who are pushing to permanently ban smoking in their workplaces, held a rally in Trenton on Monday.

A hearing was held to discuss a lawsuit that aims to close the smoking loophole in the Garden State.

For years, casino workers have been pursuing protections against secondhand smoke in their workplaces.

RELATED | Judge allows smoking to continue in Atlantic City casinos, dealing blow to workers

New Jersey’s Smoke-Free Air Act largely bans indoor smoking, but casinos have a long-standing exemption.

The lawsuit filed last April by the United Auto Workers, which represents dealers at the Bally’s, Caesars and Tropicana casinos.

In August 2024, a judge ruled in favor of the casinos to allow smoking to continue.

“Casino workers are expected to clock in to work every day despite inevitably facing a toxic environment that could cause countless health issues, including cancer, heart disease, and asthma,” said Nancy Erika Smith, the lawyer representing Casino Employees Against Smoking Effects (CEASE) and the UAW on Monday.

“We’re asking the court to find the exemption in New Jersey’s Smoke-Free Air Act unconstitutional and void it immediately. We hope this case will serve as a precedent for casinos across the country to close their smoking loopholes and stop poisoning their workers,” added Smith.

The casinos have warned that thousands of jobs and millions in gambling revenue and taxes could be lost if smoking was banned.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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New Jersey

11-Vehicle Crash Closes Turnpike, College Student Abducted: NJ Weekend

Published

17 hours ago

December 15, 2025

Press Room

11-Vehicle Crash Closes Turnpike, College Student Abducted: NJ Weekend

A teenager was shot to death in Jersey City, a woman was killed in a fiery crash with a dump truck in Ocean County, and a man is in critical condition after an SUV hit him in a Princeton crosswalk.

Here are the headlines from the weekend in New Jersey you may have missed.

Teen Shot Dead In Jersey City Apartment, Prosecutor Says

A 16-year-old boy was found shot to death in Jersey City on Friday night, prosecutors said.

Woman Killed In Fiery Head-On Dump Truck Crash In Ocean County

A woman was killed Friday when her van hit a dump truck head-on in Jackson and burst into flames, Jackson police said.

Evelin Villanueva-Detejeda, 43, of Perth Amboy, was killed in the crash that happened about 2 p.m. on Toms River Road (Route 571) near Osprey Place, Sgt. Edward Travisano said.

Six people sustained minor injuries in the collision late Friday afternoon, according to State Police Tpr. Christopher Postorino.

Read more: 11-Vehicle Crash, Overturned Truck Shut Down Turnpike In South Jersey: Police

NJ College Student Abducted From Campus, Sexually Assaulted By Armed Man, Police Say

A Union County man is facing a slew of charges after kidnapping a woman, according to the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office.

Akram Elsayed, 28, of Roselle, has been arrested after an investigation found that he’d kidnapped a woman and handcuffed her to the door of a car, police said.

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