Enormous great white shark Contender detected off the Carolinas

Contender, the largest male great white shark ever tagged by the marine research group OCEARCH, is currently moving through the Atlantic Ocean, recently appearing near South Carolina. Weighing over 1,650 pounds and stretching nearly 14 feet in length, Contender was detected just 105 miles from Charleston on Monday, according to OCEARCH's social media updates. By Wednesday, tracking data indicated he had moved even closer to the coastline.

Tagged almost a year ago in waters near his current location, Contender has followed the expected migratory patterns of great white sharks. He spends winters in warmer southern waters and returns north for the summer. In late October, he began his southward journey again to winter near Florida. Since tagging, Contender has traveled nearly 5,000 miles.

Other great white sharks are showing similar migration trends, OCEARCH data scientist John Tyminski noted in a social media video. These include Bella, a 700-pound female near Virginia, and Penny, a 10-foot shark still near southern New Jersey. Several others have already reached Floridas coast. Although the sharks roam over vast areas, they often gather in certain locations. Tyminski explained that Contender and others were likely drawn together by favorable conditions and abundant food, creating what he described as "a kind of white shark traffic jam."

During previous migrations, Contender and other sharks spent time near the Outer Banks before moving north. OCEARCH has highlighted this area as a frequent resting spot for the species, probably due to plentiful food sources.

Tracking Contender, Bella, and other sharks provides OCEARCH with valuable insights into the behaviors of great white sharks in the Northwest Atlantic. Each tracking tag delivers data for multiple years, and the pings from these tags are publicly accessible on OCEARCHs website.

Author: Harper Simmons