Largest Great White Shark On Record Tagged In The Atlantic
He was first tagged 45 miles offshore of the Florida - Georgia coast and has since traveled some 292 miles. While he is the largest male in the Atlantic, he is much smaller than "Deep Blue" the female White Shark that swims in the Pacific with the special distinction of being the largest known White Shark in the world--measuring approximately 18 or 19 feet, see video below for reference.
White Sharks migrate along the East Coast, heading south from New England (Cape Cod in Massachusetts being a favored area) when the water gets cold and food becomes more scarce, hence Contender pinging from locations offshore of Florida. Deep Blue, on the other hand, is believed to have migrated from the Pacific Coast of Mexico to Hawaii, where Ocean Ramsey was able to dive with an record the massive female shark estimated to be near 70 years old.
During the warmer months, white sharks take advantage of the abundant seal populations and rich prey resources found in the NW Atlantic--near Cape Cod and Canada. As temperatures drop and food sources dwindle, the sharks are triggered by a combination of decreasing water temperatures and changes in daylight hours, signaling the time for their southward migration towards Florida and the Central Atlantic.
Florida is no stranger to shark populations, New Smyrna Beach is even considered the "shark bite capital of the world", not exactly a welcoming name for surfers and beachgoers. While sharks are certainly terrifying, they are most often misunderstood as blood thirsty savages whereas, in most cases, they are simply curious creatures. To learn more about sharks please check out our shark safety guide compiled with the help of Madison Stewart, aka Shark Girl Madison, who is amazing resource for shark knowledge and activism.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Newsweek
24-07-2025
- Newsweek
Massive Great White Shark Pings Off Nantucket Coast: Track Its Movements
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A colossal great white shark recently surfaced off the coast of New England — and has continued to lurk along the Atlantic coastline this summer, researchers said. The 13-foot-9-inch specimen, dubbed "Contender," weighs 1,653 pounds, marking the largest male white shark ever tagged in the western Atlantic by OCEARCH, a nonprofit marine research organization. The apex predator, first tagged in January roughly 45 miles off the Florida-Georgia coast, surfaced again last Friday about 50 miles east of Nantucket, Massachusetts, between Nantucket Shoals and Georges Bank. His beacon has not pinged since. Known as "Contender," researchers say the largest male white shark they ever tagged in the western Atlantic recently pinged off the coast of Nantucket, Massachusetts. Known as "Contender," researchers say the largest male white shark they ever tagged in the western Atlantic recently pinged off the coast of Nantucket, Massachusetts. OCEARCH "Contender's second ping on July 18 shows that he's now about 62 miles east of Nantucket Island," OCEARCH data scientist John Tyminski told Newsweek in a statement Thursday. "This movement north is typical for white sharks at this time of year — they're on their northern migration to their summer-fall foraging areas." Western North Atlantic white sharks predominantly utilize two relatively broad regions during summer and fall months, Cape Cod and Atlantic Canada, he said. "Both of these areas have healthy populations of seals which can be a rich food source especially for larger white sharks like Contender," Tyminski explained, although white sharks will also opportunistically feed on various types of fish, squid and other marine mammals. The shark, named in honor of longtime OCEARCH partner Contender Boats, had previously pinged just 22 miles off the coast of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, researchers said in early June. Prior to last week's ping, the massive great white has been spotted off the coast of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, in early June, researchers said. Prior to last week's ping, the massive great white has been spotted off the coast of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, in early June, researchers said. OCEARCH "The Outer Banks is a common rest stop for these white sharks," an OCEARCH staffer wrote on Instagram. "And Contender appears to be doing just that — taking a rest. This may be due to rich food resources in this region, and it would serve as a time to feed and prepare before what may be a long journey of 1,000 miles or more up to Canada." A ping is emitted when tags attached to dorsal fins rise above the surface, transmitting real-time location data to researchers. OCEARCH has tagged 446 animals to date, according to the group's website. Visitors can track Contender and other ocean predators on OCEARCH's global shark tracker. Adult male great white sharks in the western Atlantic like Contender typically range between 11 and 13 feet, researchers said. Adult male great white sharks in the western Atlantic like Contender typically range between 11 and 13 feet, researchers said. OCEARCH "The SPOT tag deployed on Contender will provide valuable real-time data for approximately five years, helping us track his movements and understand his migration patterns," according to OCEARCH's page that monitors the shark. "Additionally, we've collected important biological samples, including urogenital material, which are currently being analyzed." While Contender represents the largest Atlantic male white shark ever to be tagged by OCEARCH, a 17-foot-2-inch female white shark named Nukumi retains the title as the largest specimen OCEARCH has ever tagged and released, Tyminski told Newsweek. Nukumi, named after a Native American mythological figure, was first tagged off Lunenberg, Nova Scotia, in October 2020 and weighed 3,541 pounds. Her last ping was transmitted in 2021, data shows. White sharks have an estimated maximum size of about 20 feet, with unconfirmed reports of some reaching up to 23 feet in length, according to the Florida Museum of Natural History. "The white shark has been credited with more fatal attacks on humans than any other species of shark," the museum's website reads. "This is due primarily to its size, power and feeding behavior."
New York Post
24-07-2025
- New York Post
Shark fears as giant great white lurks dangerously close to this popular East Coast beach: trackers
He's putting the 'Mass' in Massachusetts. Scientists revealed that a massive great white shark has been pinged swimming dangerously close to a popular tourist destination in Massachusetts — just like the marine 'man-eater' in Steven Spielberg's 1975 classic. Dubbed Contender after vessels that nonprofit OSEARCH uses to track it, the gargantuan predator was detected off the coast of Nantucket, between Georges Bank and the Nantucket Shoals on July 18, the nonprofit's live tracker shows. Advertisement Measuring around 13.8 feet long and tipping the scales at 1,653 pounds, the so-called 'ultimate ocean warrior' is the largest male OSEARCH ever tagged in the Western Atlantic Ocean, the Cape Cod Times reported. Although it's far from the largest ever documented — as great whites can measure up to 20 feet long and weigh over 5,000 pounds. 4 'The SPOT tag deployed on Contender (pictured) will provide valuable real-time data for approximately five years, helping us track his movements and understand his migration patterns,' OSEARCH wrote in a statement. OCEARCH / SWNS OSEARCH, which monitors great whites around the globe with its tagging program, had originally pinged Contender in January, swimming approximately 45 miles off the Florida-Georgia coast, MassLive reported. Advertisement The toothy predator has since made a 1,000-mile pilgrimage up the East Coast, pinging more than 40 times during its journey, including off Vero Beach, Florida, in February, and in June near Cape Hatteras in North Carolina. Great white sharks are known to head North in the spring and summer in search of prey and cooler waters, and then swim South for the winter when the colder temps return. 4 OSEARCH's live tracker showing Contender's latest ping off Nantucket. OCEARCH 4 Keeping tabs on great whites helps mitigate the chances of negative interactions with people. OCEARCH / SWNS Advertisement The tracker, which pings every time Contender's dorsal fin breaks the surface while an Argos satellite is overhead, allows researchers to learn about the predators' movements. 'The SPOT tag deployed on Contender will provide valuable real-time data for approximately five years, helping us track his movements and understand his migration patterns,' OSEARCH wrote in a statement. In turn, keeping tabs on these apex predators reduces the chances of 'Jaws'-like negative interactions between humans and sea beasts. 4 OSEARCH monitors great whites around the globe. OCEARCH Advertisement Contrary to popular belief, Contender is far from the biggest great white in the Atlantic — that's a mere shark tale. In 2019, a Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries collaborator tagged a 15-foot male named Hagans off Hilton Head, South Carolina, the Cape Cod Times reported. That shark is the biggest male documented along the East Coast to date, according to John Chisholm, an adjunct scientist with the New England Aquarium's Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life. In fact, he said there are plenty Atlantic males that fall within the 14-15 foot range. Meanwhile, the Atlantic is also home to plenty of fearsome females — which grow bigger than the males on average — that make Contender look like a pocket shark. One notable specimen is Large Marge, which measured 16 feet in 2012, but is now closer to 18, per Chisholm. It's yet unclear how big the largest shark ever recorded is. Some experts claim that this title goes to Deep Blue, a famous female in the Pacific that measures 20 feet long and weighs several tons. Interestingly, she is still dwarfed by the fictional shark in 'Jaws,' which was said to be a whopping 25 feet from nose to tail — a size experts have deemed unrealistic.
Yahoo
24-07-2025
- Yahoo
Largest Great White Shark Ever Recorded Spotted Swimming Near Popular New England Beach Destination
A record-breaking great white shark was spotted swimming off the coast of Nantucket, Mass., on July 18. The shark, named Contender, was tagged by the marine research nonprofit OCEARCH. Contender measures an impressive 13 feet, 9 inches long and weighs a whopping 1,653 pounds. Researchers referred to the shark as 'the ultimate ocean warrior," per MassLive. Contender's latest satellite ping placed the massive shark in waters east of Massachusetts, specifically between Nantucket Shoals and Georges Bank, per the outlet. OCEARCH originally tagged the male shark in January off the coast of Georgia, approximately 45 miles offshore. Contender then made the journey to Florida, before turning back up north. Before the ping off the coast of Massachusetts, there was a ping off the coast of North Carolina's Cape Hatteras, OCEARCH shared on Instagram on June 10. "The SPOT tag deployed on Contender will provide valuable real-time data for approximately five years, helping us track his movements and understand his migration patterns," the research group said in a statement. "Additionally, we've collected important biological samples, including urogenital material, which are currently being analyzed." The group also revealed how they chose the shark's name. Contender is named after Contender Boats, "a longtime OCEARCH partner, whose industry-leading sport fishing and pleasure boats enable our research missions." Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Another great white shark was spotted in Cape Cod on July 4 by two paddleboarders, roughly 100 yards offshore from Stony Beach. The Atlantic White Shark Conservancy determined that there were an estimated 800 great white sharks in the waters around Massachusetts from 2015 to 2018, per WBZ News. OCEARCH has shared an interactive travel log of Contender's migration journey on their official website. Read the original article on People
