According to scientists from the OCEARCH research group, ‘Contender’ – the name they gave the animal – is the largest great white shark ever recorded in the Atlantic Ocean.
The giant predator was captured by the group in January. The male shark, which is said to be about thirty years old, was then fitted with a tracker and released. It is over four meters long and could grow even taller, despite its age.
Since the installation of the trackers, scientists have been notified of Contender’s location as soon as its dorsal fin surfaces. Last week he swam along Saint Lawrence Bay in Canada. Strikingly northern, according to one of the researchers. Chris Fischer, founder and expedition leader of OCEARCH, told TheSun that “only a few sharks make it that far north.”
Preparation for wintering
Contender is probably preparing for winter by eating a lot of seals, Fischer explains. It will probably soon move back to Florida for its wintering. He was captured there in January.
Leopard sharks have threesome in front of scientist: ‘Males lost all their energy’
The research group especially hopes to find the beginning of an answer to a “scientific mystery surrounding white sharks”. Until now, almost nothing is known about where they mate. “Contender can help us understand where and when mating happens,” said Fisher. “That’s why big, adult sharks like him are so important.”
According to Fisher, no great white shark mating site has ever been identified for any of the nine white shark populations. “It would be the first time.” The shark’s path in the coming year, especially in the spring of 2026, could provide important clues. The first signals seem to point to the southeastern United States as a possible ‘hotspot’.