Latest news with #PamlicoSound
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Science
- Daily Mail
Largest ever great white shark swims towards popular US beach resort
The largest great white shark ever recorded in the Atlantic Ocean has ominously surfaced miles from a popular tourist spot near North Carolina. After a brief disappearance, the shark known as Contender was tracked near the Pamlico Sound, a well-visited spot for summer beach goers. Contender, an almost 14-foot shark, was first tagged in January around 45 miles from the Florida-Georgia coast before he disappeared in May for several weeks. OCEARCH, that tagged and tracked Contender, is a nonprofit organization that collects data on large marine animals across the US and Canada. Contender's signal remained dormant until June 7, at which point he resurfaced near the Pamlico Sound - one of the biggest attractions on the Outer Banks. The Pamlico is the largest sound, or saltwater lagoon, on the East Coast and attracts thousands of tourists with its renowned reputation for water sports and quiet sandy beaches. Contender's SPOT tag, or satellite transmitting tags designed to track marine life, will track his movements for around five years to help researchers further understand migration patterns. A shark's tag pings a transmission once their dorsal fin breaks the waters surface. Researchers believe his time missing in action was during a critical feeding period in which he stocked up on energy supplies for his journey north, The Sacramento Bee reported. 'This time of year, white sharks are starting their late spring/early summer migration [May 16 to June 30], moving from their southern overwintering area to their summer/fall foraging areas in the northeastern US and Atlantic Canada,' OCEARCH's chief scientist and veterinarian Harley Newton told the outlet. 'We often see the sharks on our global shark tracker spend a period of time off the Outer Banks right before they move north, which is what white shark Contender appears to be doing,' Newton added. 'This may be due to rich food resources in the region and would serve as a time to feed and prepare before what nay be a journey of 1,000 miles or more.' The shark, believed to be almost 30 years old and weighing in at over 1650 pounds, was tracked to have come closest to the shoreline near Mosquito Lagoon in Florida. OCEARCH said that they chose the record-breaking shark's name after Contender Boats, a boat manufacturing company that builds semi-custom sportfishing boats. The company has partnered with OCEARCH by providing the vessel for their extensive missions. Upon Contenders original tagging in January, shocking photos showed the massive shark lined up alongside the boats. The average size for a male great white shark is around 12 to 13 feet and a female averages at 15 to 16 feet long. Shark enthusiasts were floored to see Contender's massive size, with many expressing their shock in the comments of a video shared by the research team on Instagram. 'So cool!! I need to look him up and see where he goes,' one comment read. 'Contender is the Man, I mean, Great White! What a beaut. Hope he avoids props, orcas and any other danger that can put this unique specimen down. Looking forward to following his travels. Ocearch, you people rock!!!' another comment added. 'He is so handsome! What a beautiful fishy!!! Thanks for studying them and protect them!! Sharks are awesome,' a third shared. Over 142 days, the huge great white traveled a total of 1,870 miles.
The Sun
2 days ago
- Science
- The Sun
‘World's biggest great white shark' dubbed ‘The Contender' is spotted by trackers heading towards popular tourist beach
THE biggest white shark ever tagged by scientists has been spotted heading towards a popular tourist beach. Named 'The Contender', the vast beast hasn't been heard from for several weeks. 4 4 4 The massive shark has been skulking around the North Carolina coast for the past few months. Scientists keep tabs on its location through a tracker that "pings" whenever the shark's fin breaks the water's surface. But after several weeks off grid, the behemoth has surfaced again - this time near the popular North Carolina tourist area of Pamlico Sound. The latest ping sounded on June 7, just before 10pm. The scientists' tracking map appears to show The Contender making a move north since it last appeared. Weighing a whopping 1,600 pounds, the shark was first tagged on January 17 this year. The Contender started its journey about 45 miles off the Florida-Georgia border. It is the largest ever shark tagged the research group OCEARCH. The adult white shark measures a staggering 13 feet and nine inches. Dr Harley Newton, OCEARCH's chief scientist and veterinarian, said: "This time of year white sharks are starting their late spring/early summer migration moving from their southern overwintering area to their summer/fall foraging areas in the northeastern US and Atlantic Canada." The Contender's previous ping came on May 21, when it was much further south along North Carolina's coast. However, beachgoers need not panic, as the shark is still swimming a fair distance from the coastline. Dr Newton added: "We often see the sharks on our global shark tracker spend a period of time off the Outer Banks right before they move north, which is what white shark Contender appears to be doing. "This may be due to rich food resources in the region and would serve as a time to feed and prepare before what may be a journey of 1,000 miles or more." OCEARCH's website calls Contender "the ultimate ocean warrior" and a "mature male" specimen. It adds that his nickname comes in honour of Contender Boats - an old partner of the research group. The website says: "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. "Additionally, we've collected important biological samples, including urogenital material, which are currently being analysed."
