Latest news with #Contender
Hindustan Times
25-07-2025
- General
- Hindustan Times
Giant great white shark threatens East Coast beaches. What experts are saying
A great white shark the size of a small car just checked in off Massachusetts. OCEARCH says the adult male - nicknamed Contender - weighs 1,653 pounds and stretches nearly 14 feet, making him 'the largest white shark ever tagged in the western North Atlantic Ocean.' The latest solid ping hit on Friday, July 18, roughly 50 miles east of Nantucket between Nantucket Shoals and Georges Bank, CBS reported. There was a blip on Thursday, July 24, but he did not stay up long enough to fix a clean position. The group calls him 'a true ocean giant.' Researchers tagged Contender in January 2025 off Georgia, grabbed their samples, and let him go.(Representative Image/Pixabay) Contender: Great white shark's route from Georgia to Georges Bank Researchers tagged Contender in January 2025 off Georgia, grabbed their samples, and let him go. He cruised south to Florida, then looped up the coast past the Outer Banks. By early June, he was pinging off Cape Hatteras. OCEARCH said then he was likely headed for the 'cooler and more prey-dense waters' of the Northeast and Canada. This is the migration story scientists want to map in sharper detail. The tag on Contender should work for about five years, long enough to sketch his seasonal routes, feeding stops, and mating habits. Data like that shapes policy, beach alerts, even fishing rules. New England's shark summer is here - again According to CBS, Massachusetts shark season kicked in early. Back in May, beachgoers on Nantucket watched a great white hunt a seal right off the sand. On Memorial Day, a roughly 20-foot shark circling Block Island, Rhode Island, drew instant Jaws comparisons. And up in Maine, officials warned swimmers to stay sharp after two confirmed great white sightings off Bailey Island in Casco Bay. Contender's latest ping just underlines the obvious: the big animals are here, doing what they do every summer. If you are hitting the water, follow the local guidance, heed the flags, and don't swim near seals. OCEARCH's public tracker will show you where Contender - and dozens of other tagged sharks - surface next. FAQs: 1. What is the biggest great white shark ever recorded? The largest verified great white shark is believed to be 'Deep Blue,' measuring around 20 feet and weighing over 4,000 pounds. 2. Are great white sharks aggressive? They are apex predators but typically avoid humans; most attacks are due to mistaken identity. 3. Do 25-foot great whites exist? There are unverified claims of sharks that size, but no scientifically confirmed great white shark has reached 25 feet. 4. How many hearts do great white sharks have? Great white sharks, like most fish, have a single two-chambered heart. 5. How big is Contender? Contender weighs 1,653 pounds and measures nearly 14 feet long.
Time of India
25-07-2025
- Science
- Time of India
Largest great white shark ever captured in Florida leaves scientists stunned. It measures 13.8 feet and weighs 1,653 pounds
What is the great white shark? Live Events (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel The Ocearch research team, known for their groundbreaking studies on oceanic predators, made an unexpected discovery off the coast of Florida and Georgia in January this year. They captured a massive great white shark that is rewriting the record books. This extraordinary shark, known as Contender, is far larger than anything scientists have seen before, challenging previous assumptions about the the largest male white shark tagged by Ocearch in the Atlantic, was recently spotted off the coast of Massachusetts. The shark measures 13.8 feet and weighs approximately 1,653 pounds and it emerged near Nantucket on 18 July, days before Shark Week begins, i.e. July 20. The powerful animal was initially tagged on 17 January off the coasts of Florida and Georgia to aid researchers and estimate Contender to be about 32 years old. While great whites typically live between 30 and 40 years, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reports that some can reach 70. Since being tagged in January near the Florida-Georgia line, he has pinged more than 40 times. After heading south to Vero Beach, Florida, by February, he then began a 1,000-mile trek Harley Newton, the senior veterinarian for Ocearch, remarked on the remarkable nature of this discovery. He noted that great white males usually reach sexual maturity around the age of 26, typically measuring 3.5 meters. Finding a shark of Contender's size and maturity is a truly rare event in the world of marine had previously travelled to the Outer Banks in North Carolina, a typical migration for great whites. To track his movements, the research team attached a Spot tag to Contender's dorsal fin. This device will allow scientists to monitor the shark's path across the ocean, collecting data on his migration patterns, feeding habits, and seasonal behaviors. Since being tagged, Contender has traveled over 470 kilometers, with the most recent signal coming from Merritt Island, white sharks are crucial to the health of marine ecosystems, serving as apex predators that help control the populations of other species and maintain balance within ocean food chains. Their presence supports biodiversity and ecosystem stability. However, growing threats from human activities are endangering their survival. Gaining deeper insight into their behavior and migration patterns is essential for creating successful conservation June, Contender was detected again, this time near Cape Hatteras, off the Outer Banks of North Carolina. According to OCEARCH, great white sharks like Contender migrate northward in spring and early summer in search of cooler, prey-rich waters.
Newsweek
24-07-2025
- Science
- 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
- Science
- 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.
Daily Mirror
24-07-2025
- Daily Mirror
Tourist warning as world's biggest great white shark heads for new hotspot
Contender, the 14ft male shark, was recently pinged on July 18 around 50 miles off the coast of Nantucket, Massachusetts, and has travelled a staggering 2,433 miles since January Scientists tracking the world's biggest great white shark have issued a chilling prediction about where the predator will end up next. Contender, the 14ft male shark, was recently pinged on July 18 around 50 miles off the coast of Nantucket, Massachusetts. OCEARCH, a non-profit research organisation that tracks marine animals, was able to track the 30-year-old male in the waters east of Massachusetts, between Nantucket Shoals and Georges Bank. The 1,653lb beast was seen heading straight towards Martha's Vineyard, which is an affluent tourist destination. Since January this year, he has already travelled a staggering 2,433 miles. Despite not having any history of his past summer movements, scientists warn that Contender will potentially "take up summer residence in Atlantic Canada" which includes the popular Prince Edward Island where Prince William and Kate once toured. OCEARCH's Data Scientist, John Tyminski, told the Mirror:"Based solely on the locations from the pings he's provided, we estimate that Contender has travelled at least 2,433 miles since his January 17 tagging. "That fact that Contender is fairly far off Cape Cod at this point might suggest that he's going to continue northward and take up summer residence in Atlantic Canada. But only time will tell. Since we only tagged Contender this past January, we have no history of his summer movements and can only speculate on where he might go next." Contender was first tagged in the North Atlantic, 45 miles off the Florida-Georgia coast, off Jacksonville. Dr Harley Newton, OCEARCH Chief Scientist & Veterinarian, previously told the Mirror there were some tourist hotspots the shark might visit. She said: "This is the exciting question about Contender, as this is the first season we will be able to watch him migrate to a summer/fall foraging area. "Although there are many places in the Northeastern US and Canada where he could go, there are two primary locations where many white sharks spend the summer: Cape Cod, Massachusetts or Nova Scotia, Canada. "Though Contender is an adult male white shark, and the largest we at OCEARCH have ever tagged and sampled in the Northwest Atlantic, but he is certainly not the largest male white shark ever caught. "Contender was 13 feet 9 inches total length and estimated to weigh 1653lbs. But male white sharks can grow up to 18ft. "The adult age class animals have been more elusive than smaller, younger, age classes so we were excited to have the opportunity to tag, sample and release him. Based on our Global Shark tracker, he has travelled 1870 miles to date from the place he was first tagged and released. We won't know until he shows us, which is all the more reason to follow him on the tracker." Officials in Cape Cod have warned tourists to stay 'shark aware' and to report all shark sightings.
