Giant Male Great White Shark, the Largest Ever Recorded in the Atlantic, Spotted Off North Carolina Coast

Hatteras Island, N.C. (WNCX) — Researchers have identified one of the biggest great white sharks ever recorded in the Atlantic Ocean heading towards a well-known tourist destination.

Called “Contender,” this enormous creature stretched almost 14 feet in length.
first tagged in January
by
OCEARCH
is a non-profit group that gathers information about big sea creatures and tracks numerous sharks throughout the U.S. and Canada.
The enormous shark was initially monitored
roughly 45 miles offshore from the border of Florida and Georgia, close to Jacksonville.

Researchers monitor the shark’s location via a signal that activates whenever its dorsal fin breaches the water’s surface.

Following its disappearance from tracking systems for multiple weeks, “Contender” resurfaced near the North Carolina destination known as Pamlico Sound. The most recent signal indicating its position was received shortly after 5 p.m. on June 7th.

The researchers’ tracking map indicates that the massive shark has been moving northward over the past several weeks. The shark’s most recent signal was received on May 21 when it surfaced farther down along the coast of the state.

With a length of an impressive 13 feet and nine inches, “Contender” is believed to be around 30 years old and has a weight nearing 1,653 pounds. Researchers indicated that the shark’s short absence was likely linked to a crucial feeding time, enabling it to build up energy reserves prior to undertaking a lengthy migration.

This season, white sharks begin their late spring/early summer journey, traveling from their southern winter habitat to their summer/fall feeding grounds in the northeastern U.S. and Atlantic Canada,” explained Dr. Harley Newton, lead scientist and vet at OCEARCH. “Sharks frequently pause near the Outer Banks before heading north, as seems to be happening with the white shark named ‘Contender’.

“This could be because of the abundant food sources in the area, which would provide an opportunity for feeding and preparing beforehand, possibly for a trip exceeding 1,000 miles,” she explained.

The
OCEARCH website
characterizes “Contender” as “the supreme ruler of the seas” and a “fully grown adult male.”

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