Off The Record
Massive Great White Shark Reemerges Off U.S. Coast — Tourists Warned As Record-breaker Surfaces
The largest great white shark ever seen in the Atlantic has surfaced again, and this time he’s at a popular tourist destination.
The Jaws theme is already playing. Introducing Contender, a massive 14-foot great white shark weighing 1,653 pounds. Scientists believe he is approximately 30 years old.
In January, OCEARCH, a nonprofit that studies huge marine creatures to assist manage marine ecosystems and guide conservation efforts to help save vital habitats, tagged him in the North Atlantic.
But before then, Contender’s whereabouts are largely unknown because he disappeared for almost a month.
However, the shark has subsequently made a spectacular comeback on June 7 and has undoubtedly been active in recent months.
Where is Contender now?
About 45 miles from Jacksonville, in January, scientists saw Contender swimming along the Florida-Georgia coastline.
Who knows what he was doing at the John F. Kennedy Space Centre, where he was also discovered by later pings?
He has subsequently made a complete U-turn, though, and is travelling north to North Carolina’s Pamlico Sound.
The main reason sharks migrate around the ocean is to discover new food sources, thus it is assumed that this is the reason he made the transition.
Dr. Harley Newton, OCEARCH’s chief scientist and veterinarian based in Florida, said: “This time of year white sharks are starting their late spring/early summer migration (16 May to 30 June) moving from their southern overwintering area to their summer/fall foraging areas in the northeastern US and Atlantic Canada.”
“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.”
“This may be due to rich food resources in the region and would serve as a time to feed and prepare before what may be a journey of 1,000 miles or more.”
How is the data collected from Contender?
The crew attaches a SPOT satellite tag to his dorsal fin and gathers biological samples. The tag sends real-time GPS data everytime he rises above the water’s surface.
Through OCEARCH’s worldwide shark tracker, researchers and the general public may then follow the shark’s travels in real time. If this GPS tracker is any indication, there are some inventive sharks out there.
How big is the biggest great white shark?
At least when it comes to female sharks, Contender isn’t the largest creature in the world, despite his size making him an absolute unit.
It’s true that females are the dominant species in terms of size; according to Ocean, female white sharks can grow up to 15–16 feet in length, while males normally reach 11–13 feet at maturity.
Then there is Deep Blue, the large mother, who is thought to be 20 feet tall and weighs over 2,000 kilogrammes.
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