Largest male great white shark ever recorded in the Atlantic emerges off the North Carolina coast
OCEARCH noted on Instagram that Contender’s SPOT tag will keep transmitting real-time location data for several more years, aiding ongoing white shark research and conservation
FILE: Top 'Contender': nonprofit OCEARCH tags largest great white shark on record in Atlantic
Contender, a 14-foot, 1,600-pound adult male great white shark was tagged by OCEARCH in January near the Florida/Georgia line. The nonprofit works to research ocean life by tracking their locations throughout their lives.
Be on the lookout—Contender the great white shark has been pinged again in the Atlantic, about 45 miles southeast of Cape Fear, near Wilmington, North Carolina, on Feb. 8, according to OCEARCH.
Weighing in at almost 1,700 pounds, Contender is the largest male great white shark that OCEARCH has ever tagged in the Western North Atlantic.
LARGEST MALE GREAT WHITE SHARK EVER RECORDED PINGED OFF NEW JERSEY COAST
After being tagged last year off the Florida/Georgia coast, he spent much of January swimming along Florida’s coast.
Contender the white shark was tagged on January 17, 2025, off the FL/GA coast.
(OCEARCH / FOX Weather)
"Contender’s SPOT tag will continue providing real-time location data for the next several years, supporting ongoing white shark research and conservation efforts," OCEARCH stated in an Instagram post.
'CONTENDER,' LARGEST MALE GREAT WHITE SHARK EVER RECORDED IN ATLANTIC, REEMERGES OFF CANADIAN COAST
The organization added that the great white was named Contender in honor of Contender Boats, Inc., which is a longtime OCEARCH partner whose boats support their offshore research missions.
Previously, Contender has been pinged off the Canadian, New Jersey and Massachusetts coasts, to name a few.
Contender, the 14-foot, 1600 pound great white shark on the day he was tagged by OCEARCH in January 2025.
(OCEARCH / FOX Weather)
Contender and other sharks and sea animals like him can be tracked in real-time using the free OCEARCH Global Shark Tracker app.