The largest great white shark ever tagged in the Atlantic is back on the radar, and it’s heading north, right in time for summer travel season.
“Contender,” a massive 14-foot, 1,653-pound predator, was first tagged in January off the Florida-Georgia coast by the ocean research group OCEARCH. At around 30 years old, this ocean giant is one of the most mature sharks ever tracked in the region.
After nearly a month of silence, Contender reappeared last week just off Pamlico Sound, North Carolina, a key pit stop on what could be a 1,000-mile journey up the East Coast.
Sharks like Contender are equipped with SPOT satellite tags, which only send signals when their dorsal fin breaks the water’s surface. That’s why he “disappeared” for a while, but now he’s back and heading north.
Dr. Harley Newton, OCEARCH’s chief scientist and veterinarian, explains (via the New York Post the timing isn’t random: “This time of year, white sharks begin their late spring and early summer migration, moving from southern overwintering grounds to foraging zones in the northeastern U.S. and Atlantic Canada.”
Before the long haul north, many sharks stop near the Outer Banks, a region rich in prey and ideal for fueling up.
Contender’s tagging process was no small feat. Researchers had to carefully bring him alongside their vessel to collect biological data and attach the satellite tag. Since then, his movements have been tracked live through OCEARCH’s global shark tracker , which is available to the public online.
Tracking apex predators like Contender helps scientists better understand shark behavior and habitat needs, critical data that fuels global conservation efforts.
Great white sharks, though feared by some, are essential to healthy marine ecosystems, helping regulate prey populations. But they’re increasingly under threat from overfishing, habitat destruction, and climate change.
By studying sharks like Contender, researchers hope to protect the species, and the delicate balance of the oceans they help maintain.
