Southeast Texas documentary highlights great white sharks in the Gulf

Added: 2026-05-17

[00:00:00]On noon day break, great white sharks maybe returning to Gulf waters in larger numbers than researchers once thought.

[00:00:07]Now a Southeast Texas wildlife journalist is highlighting the comeback in a new documentary premiering at the Museum of the Gulf Coast. 12 News Derek Jones is in studio with more. Hey Derek.

[00:00:18]Hey Tia, a tagged great white shark traveling near Southeast Texas waters in 2024 helped inspire what's now being called the first documentary focused on great white sharks in the Gulf.

[00:00:28]Gulf great white sharks and turn of a high con explorers evidence that these sharks are once again appearing in Gulf waters. Wildlife journalist Chester Moore says his fascination with the great whites began as a child. His research intensified after a tagged shark named Lee Beth traveled from South Padre Island to waters near Sabine Pass in 2024.

[00:00:47]Moore says scientists now believe great whites have been part of the Gulf ecosystem since the 1930s and protections put in place decades ago may be helping populations recover.

[00:00:57]You're not likely to encounter a great white in the Gulf at all. You're more likely to encounter a blacktip or a bull shark or Atlantic sharpnose shark. But when you have these apex predators coming back, it shows you something's going right in the conservation work we're doing for our marine fisheries.

[00:01:13]The documentary follows researchers, shark experts, and conservationists as they investigate what the return of the apex predator means for the Gulf waters.

[00:01:22]The documentary will be featured during a free event at the Museum of the Gulf Coast on June 20th. It is free to watch.

[00:01:27]In studio Derek Jones, 12 News.