Tourist warning as world's biggest great white shark heads for new hotspot
Scientists tracking the world's biggest great white shark have issued a chilling prediction about where the predator will end up next.
Contender, the 14ft male shark, was recently pinged on July 18 around 50 miles off the coast of Nantucket, Massachusetts. OCEARCH, a non-profit research organisation that tracks marine animals, was able to track the 30-year-old male in the waters east of Massachusetts, between Nantucket Shoals and Georges Bank.
The 1,653lb beast was seen heading straight towards Martha's Vineyard, which is an affluent tourist destination. Since January this year, he has already travelled a staggering 2,433 miles.
Despite not having any history of his past summer movements, scientists warn that Contender will potentially "take up summer residence in Atlantic Canada" which includes the popular Prince Edward Island where Prince William and Kate once toured.
OCEARCH's Data Scientist, John Tyminski, told the Mirror:"Based solely on the locations from the pings he's provided, we estimate that Contender has travelled at least 2,433 miles since his January 17 tagging.
"That fact that Contender is fairly far off Cape Cod at this point might suggest that he's going to continue northward and take up summer residence in Atlantic Canada. But only time will tell. Since we only tagged Contender this past January, we have no history of his summer movements and can only speculate on where he might go next."
Contender was first tagged in the North Atlantic, 45 miles off the Florida-Georgia coast, off Jacksonville.
Dr Harley Newton, OCEARCH Chief Scientist & Veterinarian, previously told the Mirror there were some tourist hotspots the shark might visit.
She said: "This is the exciting question about Contender, as this is the first season we will be able to watch him migrate to a summer/fall foraging area.
"Although there are many places in the Northeastern US and Canada where he could go, there are two primary locations where many white sharks spend the summer: Cape Cod, Massachusetts or Nova Scotia, Canada.
"Though Contender is an adult male white shark, and the largest we at OCEARCH have ever tagged and sampled in the Northwest Atlantic, but he is certainly not the largest male white shark ever caught.
"Contender was 13 feet 9 inches total length and estimated to weigh 1653lbs. But male white sharks can grow up to 18ft.
"The adult age class animals have been more elusive than smaller, younger, age classes so we were excited to have the opportunity to tag, sample and release him. Based on our Global Shark tracker, he has travelled 1870 miles to date from the place he was first tagged and released. We won't know until he shows us, which is all the more reason to follow him on the tracker."
Officials in Cape Cod have warned tourists to stay 'shark aware' and to report all shark sightings.
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