It is the largest ever caught.
A large male white shark, believed to be the biggest ever tagged and released, is nearing Florida’s east coast, close to Jacksonville. The shark, named Contender, measures 13.8 feet in length and weighs 1,653 pounds. He was tagged by the research group OCEARCH on January 17 near the Florida-Georgia border in the western Northwest Atlantic.
Contender has been moving south, and his last recorded location was near St. Augustine on Thursday morning, according to OCEARCH. The group announced on Facebook that tracking Contender will provide important real-time data for around five years. To accurately track the shark, the tag on Contender must surface for about 90 seconds to determine his location.
Researchers are following Contender’s movements to gain insights into white shark migration. When Contender was tagged, researchers also collected biological samples, such as urogenital material, which are being analyzed to learn more about the shark.
Contender was named after the Contender Boats company, which supports OCEARCH’s ocean exploration and conservation efforts. Great white sharks often migrate to warmer waters during the winter months in search of abundant food. OCEARCH has tagged nearly 400 sharks, primarily great white and tiger sharks, to study their behaviors and migration patterns.
