Biggest great white shark ever recorded by research group is "making moves along the Atlantic coast"
The largest male white shark ever tagged by the research group OCEARCH is close to the coast of North Carolina as it migrates northwards.
Contender, a nearly 14-foot long adult great white male shark, was first tagged by OCEARCH in January 2025. He was first spotted off the coast of Georgia, then spent time near Florida. For the past several weeks, he has been moving northward, with his tracking device pinging multiple times off the coast of South Carolina and North Carolina. On June 11, his tracker pinged just 22 miles off the coast of Cape Hatteras.
OCEARCH that Contender appears to be following standard great white migratory patterns and heading up north for the summer season, and is "making moves along the Atlantic coast." The species spends the winter in warmer, southern waters, OCEARCH said. The sharks then head to "cooler, more prey-dense waters" near Canada for the next few months.
The Outer Banks are a "common rest stop" for the species, OCEARCH said, likely because of rich food resources in the area. The spot also allows the sharks to prepare for the journey north, which may span more than 1,000 miles.
Tracking Contender's movements gives OCEARCH "valuable data on the lives of white sharks in the Northwest Atlantic," the organization said.
"Every ping helps us get one step closer to understanding and protecting these incredible animals," the agency said.
Contender's tag pings, as well as those of other tagged sharks, are publicly available . Contender's tag will provide his location for about five years, CBS News previously reported.
