Latest news with #Ocearch
The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
Gigantic Great White makes timely Shark Week appearance
Contender, the largest male great white shark ever tagged by Ocearch in the Atlantic, was recently spotted off the coast of Massachusetts. Measuring 13.8 feet and weighing approximately 1,653 pounds, the shark emerged near Nantucket on 18 July, days before Shark Week begins (July 20). The powerful animal was initially tagged on 17 January off the coasts of Florida and Georgia to aid researchers and conservationists. Its tag pinged around 100 miles south of Boston and 30 miles from Cape Cod, a popular tourist destination. Contender, estimated to be around 32 years old, had previously travelled to the Outer Banks in North Carolina, a typical migration for great whites.
The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
Contender, largest great white shark tagged in Atlantic, spotted off Nantucket
The largest great white shark ever tagged by an ocean research group in the Atlantic has been spotted just off the coast of Massachusetts. Contender, a mature male shark measuring 13.8 feet and weighing around 1,653 pounds, emerged near Nantucket on July 18. The shark's tag pinged around 100 miles south of Boston and 30 miles from Cape Cod – a popular tourist destination. The powerful animal was tagged on January 17, around 45 miles off the coast of Florida and Georgia, in order to help researchers and conservationists. Contender then headed up to the Outer Banks in North Carolina, which researchers say is typical of great whites. It is believed the stop may be due to rich food resources in the region and gives the animal time to prepare for a journey north that could be more than 1000 miles. According to Ocearch, Contender's name is in honor of Contender Boats, a longtime partner of the research group, whose industry-leading sport fishing and pleasure boats enable its research missions. Contender is the largest male white shark ever caught, SPOT tagged, released and now studied in the North West Atlantic white shark population. The tag, which pings when the shark's dorsal fin breaches the surface, will last for five years. However, the reports that some creatures can reach the age of 70.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
Massive 13-foot great white shark pings off New England coast
The largest Atlantic great white shark tagged by a marine research company continues to make his way north. Named after a popular boat brand, scientists reported "Contender," a great white shark, pinged dozens of miles off the coast of Nantucket, Massachusetts. The island, a popular travel destination, is about 100 miles from Boston. At nearly 14 feet in length, the adult male shark surfaced on July 17, according to Ocearch, a global non-profit marine research group tracking shark sightings and migration. 'I didn't see it': Surfer bitten by shark in second attack at Florida beach this month A ping means the tag attached to the fish's dorsal fin was spotted above the surface for a brief period as it swam, transmitting a near-live location signal to the Ocearch shark tracker. How much does the great white weigh? According to Ocearch's shark tracker page, Contender weighs 1,653 pounds and measures 13 feet, 9 inches in length. The shark is believed to be just over 30 years old. Great white sharks' life span are typically between 30 and 40 years old, but according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration some can live past age 70. 'Dancing With Sharks': Tom Bergeron heads back to a watery ballroom Where has the great white pinged? Contender's location has pinged more than 40 times after researchers tagged the beast in January off the Florida-Georgia border. After that, a Feb. 23 ping showed he'd swam as far south as just off the coast of Vero Beach in Florida, before making his trek more than one thousand miles north. And last month, the big fish resurfaced off the coast of North Carolina, just off the Outer Banks near Cape Hatteras. Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@ and follow her on X @nataliealund. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Great white shark, 'Contender,' pings off Nantucket, Ocearch says Solve the daily Crossword
USA Today
2 days ago
- Science
- USA Today
Massive 13-foot great white shark pings off New England coast
The largest Atlantic great white shark tagged by a marine research company continues to make his way north. Named after a popular boat brand, scientists reported "Contender," a great white shark, pinged dozens of miles off the coast of Nantucket, Massachusetts. The island, a popular travel destination, is about 100 miles from Boston. At nearly 14 feet in length, the adult male shark surfaced on July 17, according to Ocearch, a global non-profit marine research group tracking shark sightings and migration. 'I didn't see it': Surfer bitten by shark in second attack at Florida beach this month A ping means the tag attached to the fish's dorsal fin was spotted above the surface for a brief period as it swam, transmitting a near-live location signal to the Ocearch shark tracker. How much does the great white weigh? According to Ocearch's shark tracker page, Contender weighs 1,653 pounds and measures 13 feet, 9 inches in length. The shark is believed to be just over 30 years old. Great white sharks' life span are typically between 30 and 40 years old, but according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration some can live past age 70. 'Dancing With Sharks': Tom Bergeron heads back to a watery ballroom Where has the great white pinged? Contender's location has pinged more than 40 times after researchers tagged the beast in January off the Florida-Georgia border. After that, a Feb. 23 ping showed he'd swam as far south as just off the coast of Vero Beach in Florida, before making his trek more than one thousand miles north. And last month, the big fish resurfaced off the coast of North Carolina, just off the Outer Banks near Cape Hatteras. Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@ and follow her on X @nataliealund.
Yahoo
17-06-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Shark safety tips to start the summer
CAPE HATTERAS, N.C. (WAVY) – Contender is a hanging out off the shore of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. Ocearch is tracking him as part of a larger conservation effort for our oceans. 'Our oceans are back. We are in the great return to abundance and we're seeing as much life off our coast, both east and west now as we saw in the 1940's,' said the founder of Ocearch, Chris Fischer. 'So, it's an amazing time to get out to the ocean with your family. Realize, if you're my age, if you're in your 50s, we grew up in an ocean that was completely wiped out. So, you could walk into the ocean anywhere, any time. Now, over the last 30 years, we've rewired our oceans. Our kids are going to see an ocean full of fish.' Fischer suggests one way to see if there are sharks in the ocean is to look above it. 'If you see a bunch of birds crashing on bait and game fish eating the bait, there's going to be sharks coming in and the food chain is colliding there,' Fischer said. Also, pay attention to the flags at the beach. A purple flag means there is marine life in the remember, the odds of being attacked by a shark are extremely low and sharks are good for our oceans. 'It was still chasing her': 9-year-old girl attacked by shark while swimming at Florida beach 'When the white shark comes to town, every animal knows it and behaves properly,' Fischer said. 'So when you're seeing them off your beaches, you can know our management people must be doing pretty good.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
