‘Contender’, the near-prehistoric ocean beast, resurfaces after months missing in the Atlantic

Just a year and a half after it was first tagged and documented, Contender was detected again when its satellite transmitter briefly sent a signal from the waters off the eastern United States.

OCEARCH reported that the massive shark measures approximately 13 feet 9 inches long and weighs about 1,650 pounds, making it roughly the size of a compact car. It is the largest male great white shark ever recorded.

Over the past year, Contender has traveled thousands of miles along North America’s Atlantic coastline. Its movements have taken it off the coasts of New Jersey, Massachusetts, and the Carolinas, as well as into Canadian waters, following the seasonal migration routes commonly used by great white sharks.

Although the latest transmission confirmed that the shark remains active in the North Atlantic, researchers were unable to determine its exact location. Contender is considered an exceptional specimen because it is significantly larger than the average male great white, which typically measures about 11 feet 6 inches in length. While female great whites can grow to nearly 20 feet, a male of Contender‘s size is extremely rare.

Great white sharks face a high risk of extinction

Overfishing, accidental capture in commercial fisheries, and black-market demand for shark teeth, jaws, and fins have placed great white sharks at a high risk of extinction in the wild. The species is classified as Vulnerable on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List, reflecting the significant threats it continues to face.

Each new signal transmitted by this enormous predator provides researchers with valuable data that helps improve our understanding of a species essential to maintaining healthy ocean ecosystems. Today, Contender remains one of the most important individual sharks for marine research.

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