Researchers track massive white shark off Florida’s east coast

Marine researchers are closely monitoring what is believed to be the largest shark ever tagged by OCEARCH in the southwest Atlantic, with its latest tracking data showing movement along Florida’s east coast.

Contender: A record-breaking shark

The white shark, named Contender, was originally tagged on January 17, 2025, approximately 45 miles off the Florida-Georgia border. Since then, it has traveled southward along the Gulf Stream. According to biologists, Contender measures nearly 14 feet in length and weighed an astonishing 1,652.8 pounds at the time of tagging.

Contender’s tag will provide real-time data to researchers, offering valuable insights into its movements and behavior over the next several years.

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“OCEARCH named Contender in honor of Contender Boats, a longtime partner whose industry-leading sport fishing and pleasure boats enable our research missions. Their commitment to performance and innovation is essential to our ability to explore and protect our oceans,” the research group stated.

Despite its size, Contender poses no immediate threat to Florida’s beachgoers, as it has remained more than 40 miles offshore. Biologists note that white sharks typically migrate to the waters off Florida and the Southeast during the fall and winter in search of prey. As seasons change, they move further offshore and travel northward to the U.S. Northeast and Canada, where they feed on seals.

According to the International Fund for Animal Welfare, the global population of white sharks is estimated to exceed 3,000 and is not currently classified as endangered. However, threats such as climate change and entanglement in fishing gear have impacted their numbers.

Tracking technology and research efforts

OCEARCH explained that the tag on the Contender must be exposed to the air for approximately 90 seconds to triangulate the shark’s location accurately. The battery powering the tag is expected to last around five years, though its lifespan depends on how frequently the shark surfaces.

As of late 2024, marine biologists had tagged nearly 400 sharks, primarily great whites and tiger sharks, to enhance understanding of their migration patterns and ecological roles.