Yes, massive great white sharks are found in the Sea of Cortez

–Editor’s note: This post looks back to 2012, when the accompanying image was captured on a Mexican beach, at a time when it was not widely known that adult great white sharks inhabited the Sea of Cortez.

Thirteen years ago, an enormous great white shark sprawled on a beach near Guaymas, Mexico, on the mainland side of the Sea of Cortez, quickly became a spectacle.

Commercial fishermen Guadalupe and Baltazar (no last names provided) hauled the giant shark up in a net and towed it two miles to shore behind their 22-foot boat.

The graphic image tells the story of a town captivated by the rare sight of an apex predator said to measure 20 feet.

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Guadalupe was quoted as saying, “We were amazed and immediately realized that we had a huge, dead great white shark, and then we thought, ‘What are we gonna do?’ ”

The catch saddened conservationists and surprised many who were not aware that upper regions of the Sea of Cortez were utilized by such large white sharks.

It’s now known that adult great white sharks seasonally migrate into the Sea of Cortez to give birth.