Latest news with #Tyminski

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."