The largest great white shark ever documented in the Atlantic Ocean has reappeared on trackers for the first time in several months. Researchers suspect he might be heading towards Cape Cod.
Contender, a 14-foot great white equipped with a tracking device by the research group OCEARCH, last provided a confirmed location off the Outer Banks of North Carolina in April.
On July 8, he briefly surfaced again, triggering what researchers refer to as a “Z-ping,” a faint signal that indicates the shark is moving but does not provide an exact location.
OCEARCH explained that this signal usually occurs when the shark’s fin-mounted tag is only at the surface for a short time, resulting in just one satellite message being received instead of the three or more required to determine a reliable position.
Shark possibly heading for a tourist hotspot
Considering the usual migration patterns of great whites in the western North Atlantic, researchers think Contender is likely making his way towards Cape Cod or Atlantic Canada, both of which provide the warm summer waters and plentiful food supply that the species prefers.
Seals, in particular, are a crucial part of the great white’s diet, and both areas have significant populations.
Contender was initially tagged on January 17, 2025, approximately 45 miles off the Georgia-Florida border. Since then, he has traveled over 7,000 miles and remains the largest great white ever recorded in the Atlantic at 14 feet, although he still has a considerable distance to cover before reaching Deep Blue, the largest great white ever estimated at around 20 feet, which was spotted near Hawaii.
