Largest male white shark tagged heading toward Florida's coast
The largest male white shark, named Contender, is moving towards Florida's east coast after being tagged and released. Researchers will track his migration patterns over the next five years.
The largest male white shark ever caught, tagged, and released is approaching Florida's east coast, near Jacksonville.
Contender, a 13.8-foot, 1,653-pound adult shark, was tagged on January 17 in the western Northwest Atlantic, off the Florida-Georgia border.
He appears to be moving south, most recently surfacing near St. Augustine at about 10 a.m. Thursday, according to OCEARCH, the research group that tagged Contender.
In a Facebook post, the group stated that Contender will provide valuable real-time data for about five years.
OCEARCH mentioned that the tag on Contender needs to be exposed to the air for approximately 90 seconds to accurately triangulate the shark's location.
Researchers will track the shark's movements to better understand its migration patterns.
At the time of tagging, the group also collected "important" biological samples from Contender, including urogenital material, which are currently being analyzed, according to the post.
Contender's name honors the Contender Boats company, which partners with OCEARCH. "Their commitment to performance and innovation is essential to our ability to explore and protect our oceans," according to the OCEARCH website.
Great white sharks often leave their summer feeding grounds to enjoy warmer waters and more plentiful food sources.
As of late 2024, marine biologists have tagged nearly 400 sharks, mostly great white or tiger sharks, Fox 13 reported.
