That particular tag gives biologists studying the species a sense of the broad movements of the animals. It stays on the shark’s fin and collects information about what the shark is doing, how deep underwater it goes, and what the temperature is at certain depths of the ocean.
It transmits its data to a satellite when it finally detaches from the shark.
Monday’s tagging came just weeks after state researchers and members of the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy, a nonprofit group, spotted the first great white swimming 200 yards off Chatham’s South Beach.
That shark, named “Freckles” for the dots on her face, was 15 feet long. Researchers were not able to tag Freckles.
Skomal said this year’s shark season, which began June 15 for researchers, has been slow. But on Monday they spotted a total of three sharks, including Avery.
“Yesterday things kind of broke open a little bit,” Skomal said. “It was a great day out there.”