2 days ago
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.
