CAPE MAY -- The beloved great white shark, Mary Lee, returned Sunday morning to the southern tip of the Jersey Shore just in time for Memorial Day.
But don't fret, holiday beachgoers: The 3,500-pound shark was at least 30 miles east from the Cape May coast just before 9 a.m.
Mary Lee was caught off the coast of Cape Cod in September 2012 and tagged by the research group, OCEARCH. Since then, she has logged nearly 40,000 miles of travel up and down the East Coast. There have been a couple times when Mary Lee has pinged within a mile of the Jersey coast.
A ping is registered with the research group when the shark's dorsal fin breaks through the water, transmitting a signal that provides an estimated location. The group does not release a shark's exact location but displays a marker on a Google Earth map to show the area where a ping was received.
While often garnering coverage in local media outlets for her pings, Mary Lee is perhaps most well-known for her heavy Twitter presence and massive following. As of Sunday morning, the @MaryLeeShark Twitter page had 107,000 followers.
The page was started by a reporter with the StarNews in Wilmington, N.C., in November 2012.
Alex Napoliello may be reached at anapoliello@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @alexnapoNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.