White sharks (Carcharodon carcharias) have been known in Hawaii (~158°W, 22°N) since the time of ancient Hawaiians. We compiled sightings and records from 1926 to the present (4 females, 2 males, and 8 unknown sex; 3.3–4.5？m total length) and compared them with satellite tracking records (7 females, 9 males, and 6 unknown; 3.7–5.3？m total length). White sharks have been sighted in Hawaii throughout the year, whereas satellite tracking studies show individuals near the North American coast during fall and offshore during spring for the eastern North Pacific population (northern fall/spring). The mismatch of these datasets could hypothetically be consistent with fall-sighted individuals being sourced from a different population or part of a resident population. However, recently documented multiyear movements of North American sharks revealed that the annual nearshore-offshore pattern does not hold for mature females, which ranged over larger areas and were offshore during the fall. We found that fall white shark sightings in Hawaii are predominantly of females, most likely visitors from the eastern North Pacific population. Misidentification of other species as white sharks frequently occurs by fishers and in the news media, and we suggest methods for discrimination of related species. 1. Introduction White sharks (Carcharodon carcharias) are known to have occurred historically in Hawaii based on Hawaiian knowledge and artefacts predating European contact [1], and their presence continues to be documented by contemporary observations (this study) and electronic tracking [2–5]. This paper aims to provide a definitive record of the presence of white sharks in Hawaiian waters, based on confirmed incidents and satellite tracking data, while eliminating previously reported sightings that cannot be verified. We compared sightings data from Hawaii with satellite tracking data and consider life history hypotheses for the eastern North Pacific, in order to understand the likely origins of sharks that occur in Hawaii. Observations of white sharks in Hawaii have been rare and brief, but have provided information on the seasonality of occurrence in the Archipelago and some information on sex and size class. On the North American coast, the occurrence of white sharks has been studied via direct observation, photo cataloging, records of attacks on marine mammals and humans, fishery capture records, and satellite and acoustic telemetry. White sharks have been seen at aggregation sites (pinniped colonies) primarily during northern autumn [6], and satellite tracking
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