Largest great white shark recorded in Atlantic spotted off popular beach town
A nearly 14-foot great white shark named Contender, the largest ever tagged in the Atlantic by Ocearch, was recently tracked off Nantucket, Massachusetts, after traveling over 1,000 miles from Florida.
A massive great white shark, the largest ever tagged in the Atlantic Ocean by a marine research group, is continuing its journey northward near a popular summer destination.
Named "Contender" after a well-known boat brand, the shark was recently tracked several dozen miles off Nantucket, Massachusetts. Located roughly 100 miles south of Boston and 30 miles from Cape Cod, the island is a well-known tourist hot spot.
According to OCEARCH, a nonprofit marine research organization that monitors shark movements globally, the adult male measures nearly 14 feet in length and is estimated to weigh 1,653 pounds.
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Researchers estimate Contender to be about 32 years old. While great whites typically live between 30 and 40 years, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reports that some can reach 70.
Since being tagged in January near the Florida-Georgia line, he has pinged more than 40 times. After heading south to Vero Beach, Florida, by February, he then began a 1,000-mile trek northward.
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The detection, or "ping," occurs when the tracking device on the shark's dorsal fin briefly surfaces and sends a location signal to Ocearch’s tracking system.
For a ping to register, Contender's dorsal fin must break water and an Argos satellite must be nearby to record the shark's location.
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In June, Contender was detected again, this time near Cape Hatteras, off the Outer Banks of North Carolina.
According to OCEARCH, great white sharks like Contender migrate northward in spring and early summer in search of cooler, prey-rich waters.
Fans can follow his journey, along with other sharks, in real-time through the free OCEARCH Global Shark Tracker app.
Fox News' Hayley Vawter contributed to this report.
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