By . Dan Bloom . A monster female Great White who is so notorious she has been nicknamed Joan of Shark has forced the closure of a popular beach. The beast - the largest ever tagged in Australia - is more than 16ft long, weighs around 1.6 tonnes and is believed to have made more than a dozen appearances in the last month. A photo taken by scientists reveals the moment they won a two-hour struggle to roll Joan onto her back and insert a sophisticated electronic tagging device into her gut. Scroll down for video . Just when you thought it was safe: 'Joan of Shark', who has been tagged once before, has reappeared off the coast of Albany, Western Australia, prompting a popular beach to be closed. She is more than 16ft long . Only some of the enormous animal was visible as a looming figure underneath the boat - and one of her giant fins was almost as large as the scientist tagging her. Mark Kleeman from the Department of Fisheries told ABC Great Southern: 'The shark [was] upside down, which induces a state called tonic immobility. In a sense, the shark basically goes to sleep.' Once she was rolled back over, he said, 'the shark came almost instantaneously back to life so she was quickly released, and she swam off very strongly.' The shark believed to be Joan was then registered multiple times off the coast of Albany, Western Australia, including nine times on Saturday alone. Popular Middleton beach had to be closed after the string of sightings, which were believed to have been prompted by a dying whale calf which had washed up on the sand. Scientists said the whale calf's distress signals and later, smells and blood, would have attracted Joan - who has been tagged once before - to the scene. Sighting: The shark has made several appearances at Ellen Cove on the coast of Western Australia . Ellen Cove, a popular part of Middleton beach, had to be closed after the string of sightings, which were believed to have been prompted by a dying whale calf which had washed up on the sand . Since then Joan has been spotted . again as recently as today, when she triggered receivers at Albany's . Ellen Cove just before 6am. A . Department of Fisheries spokesman said on Saturday: '​After nine . detections of a tagged white shark early today, the Department of . Fisheries is advising water users at Middleton beach to exercise . additional caution. Middleton beach has been closed by the City of . Albany. 'The detections . occurred over the period from 3.55am to 7.22am.  The shark was detected . by a receiver that forms part of the State Government’s Shark Monitoring . Network. 'Water users should adhere to any beach closures advised by your local government rangers or Surf Life Saving WA. 'They . should also exercise caution when entering the water at South Coast . beaches and we encourage them to use patrolled beaches at all times.' Fisherman were reportedly the source of the nickname Joan of Shark, given in tribute to the 1400s French fighter Joan of Arc. Danger: Authorities said swimmers should be cautious and only use patrolled beaches (file photo) She was just 19 when she was burned at the stake by the English during the Hundred Years' War after helping lift the siege of Orléans in just nine days. She was later made a saint. Her shark namesake, meanwhile, is one of several being tracked by Western Australia's Department of Fisheries using satellite data and hundreds of monitors on the sea bed. Updates are sent live via Twitter to swimmers and surfers, who have every reason to be cautious. A series of maulings, some of which were fatal, prompted authorities in Western Australia to set up a shark cull and spend almost $4million improving their warning systems. A Shark Response Unit was formed in 2012 and last week authorities asked to extend their culling programme for another three years. The rules allow officials to kill and dump the bodies of any Great White, tiger or bull shark more than 10ft long after catching them using baited lines out to sea.
Female measuring more than 16ft long was tagged in Albany last month .
She was believed to be among those drawn to a washed-up whale carcass .
Beach was shut as fishermen named animal after 1400s fighter Joan of Arc .
By . Dan Bloom . A monster female Great White who is so notorious she has been nicknamed Joan of Shark has forced the closure of a popular beach. The beast - the largest ever tagged in Australia - is more than 16ft long, weighs around 1.6 tonnes and is believed to have made more than a dozen appearances in the last month. A photo taken by scientists reveals the moment they won a two-hour struggle to roll Joan onto her back and insert a sophisticated electronic tagging device into her gut. Scroll down for video . Just when you thought it was safe: 'Joan of Shark', who has been tagged once before, has reappeared off the coast of Albany, Western Australia, prompting a popular beach to be closed. She is more than 16ft long . Only some of the enormous animal was visible as a looming figure underneath the boat - and one of her giant fins was almost as large as the scientist tagging her. Mark Kleeman from the Department of Fisheries told ABC Great Southern: 'The shark [was] upside down, which induces a state called tonic immobility. In a sense, the shark basically goes to sleep.' Once she was rolled back over, he said, 'the shark came almost instantaneously back to life so she was quickly released, and she swam off very strongly.' The shark believed to be Joan was then registered multiple times off the coast of Albany, Western Australia, including nine times on Saturday alone. Popular Middleton beach had to be closed after the string of sightings, which were believed to have been prompted by a dying whale calf which had washed up on the sand. Scientists said the whale calf's distress signals and later, smells and blood, would have attracted Joan - who has been tagged once before - to the scene. Sighting: The shark has made several appearances at Ellen Cove on the coast of Western Australia . Ellen Cove, a popular part of Middleton beach, had to be closed after the string of sightings, which were believed to have been prompted by a dying whale calf which had washed up on the sand . Since then Joan has been spotted . again as recently as today, when she triggered receivers at Albany's . Ellen Cove just before 6am. A . Department of Fisheries spokesman said on Saturday: '​After nine . detections of a tagged white shark early today, the Department of . Fisheries is advising water users at Middleton beach to exercise . additional caution. Middleton beach has been closed by the City of . Albany. 'The detections . occurred over the period from 3.55am to 7.22am.  The shark was detected . by a receiver that forms part of the State Government’s Shark Monitoring . Network. 'Water users should adhere to any beach closures advised by your local government rangers or Surf Life Saving WA. 'They . should also exercise caution when entering the water at South Coast . beaches and we encourage them to use patrolled beaches at all times.' Fisherman were reportedly the source of the nickname Joan of Shark, given in tribute to the 1400s French fighter Joan of Arc. Danger: Authorities said swimmers should be cautious and only use patrolled beaches (file photo) She was just 19 when she was burned at the stake by the English during the Hundred Years' War after helping lift the siege of Orléans in just nine days. She was later made a saint. Her shark namesake, meanwhile, is one of several being tracked by Western Australia's Department of Fisheries using satellite data and hundreds of monitors on the sea bed. Updates are sent live via Twitter to swimmers and surfers, who have every reason to be cautious. A series of maulings, some of which were fatal, prompted authorities in Western Australia to set up a shark cull and spend almost $4million improving their warning systems. A Shark Response Unit was formed in 2012 and last week authorities asked to extend their culling programme for another three years. The rules allow officials to kill and dump the bodies of any Great White, tiger or bull shark more than 10ft long after catching them using baited lines out to sea.
- is more than 16ft long, weighs around 1.6 dozen appearances in the last month. A photo shark believed to be Joan was then registered to the 1400s French fighter Joan of Arc. Danger: days. She was later made a saint. Her shark