‘Biggest Great White Shark Ever Recorded’ in Atlantic Reveals Interesting New Migration Patterns North
The Atlantic’s largest recorded great white shark has resurfaced off the coast of Canada, where researchers say the massive predator is feeding on seals to build fat reserves before heading south for the winter, as reported by The New York Post.
The shark, named Contender, measures 14 feet in length and weighs approximately 1,653 pounds. He was tagged by the nonprofit marine research group OCEARCH in January, about 45 miles off the Florida-Georgia coastline near Jacksonville.
The organization uses satellite tags to track large marine species, and Contender’s device sends a signal whenever his dorsal fin breaks the water’s surface.
Last week, OCEARCH confirmed that Contender’s tracker “pinged” from the Gulf of St. Lawrence, just off the Labrador Peninsula in eastern Canada. The location makes him “one of the furthest northern pinging sharks that we’ve had,” researchers noted.
OCEARCH founder and expedition leader Chris Fischer, 56, said the 30-year-old shark is spending the summer and fall in northern waters, where he hunts seals in preparation for his annual return to Florida.
Biggest great white shark ever recorded in Atlantic tracked off North Carolina coast https://t.co/WmePOMazUZ pic.twitter.com/fTKdyXcAvx
— New York Post (@nypost) June 12, 2025