Latest news with #sharktracking


Fox News
6 days ago
- Fox News
Largest great white shark recorded in Atlantic spotted off popular beach town
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. 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. 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. 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. Stepheny Price is a writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business. She covers topics including missing persons, homicides, national crime cases, illegal immigration, and more. Story tips and ideas can be sent to
Yahoo
21-07-2025
- 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


CBS News
21-07-2025
- Science
- CBS News
Massive great white shark weighing over 1,600 pounds detected about 50 miles off Nantucket
A great white shark weighing 1,653 pounds was recently detected about 50 miles off the coast of Nantucket, Massachusetts. Research group OCEARCH says "Contender" is the largest white shark it's ever tagged in the western North Atlantic Ocean. At nearly 14 feet long, OCEARCH calls Contender "a true ocean giant." The latest ping from Contender came on Friday in the waters east of Massachusetts, between Nantucket Shoals and Georges Bank. Researchers have been tracking the adult male since January 2025 when they tagged Contender and took biological samples from him off the coast of Georgia. From there, he traveled down to Florida before heading up to the Outer Banks of North Carolina. He had last been pinged off the coast of Cape Hatteras in early June. OCEARCH said at the time he was likely headed to the "cooler and more prey-dense waters" of the northeast and Canada. Shark season has been underway in Massachusetts since May when a great white was seen hunting a seal on a Nantucket beach. On Memorial Day, a 20-foot shark that has invited "Jaws" comparisons was caught on camera swimming around Rhode Island's Block Island. And up in Maine, beachgoers and swimmers are urged to be cautious after two documented sightings of great whites off Bailey Island in Casco Bay. The tag placed on Contender will allow OCEARCH to track him for about five years. Researchers are hoping it will help them learn more about the migration patterns of great whites. Click here to see the latest pings for Contender and the location of other sharks tagged by OCEARCH.


CTV News
18-06-2025
- Science
- CTV News
Tracker shows 13-foot shark swimming north along Atlantic coast
In this Sept. 7, 2012 file photo, the research vessel Ocearch has set her anchor as the crew begins their search for great white sharks on the Atlantic Ocean, spending two to three weeks tagging sharks and collecting blood and tissue samples off the coast of Chatham, Mass. (AP Photo/Stephan Savoia, File) Weighing in at three quarters of a metric tonne, measuring over four metres from nose to tail and swimming more than 3,000 kilometres since the beginning of this year alone, he is the largest shark of his kind ever captured and recorded. Meet Contender, the northwest Atlantic Ocean's biggest, baddest great white shark on record, who may be headed for Canadian waters some day soon. First sighted off the Florida-Georgia coast in January, Contender was caught by scientists from global non-profit OCEARCH and fitted with a satellite tracker to monitor his movements. In the 142 days since, the shark has traced a path south past Daytona Beach, Fla., before disappearing from researchers' radar for weeks at a time in March and then resurfacing in April off the coast of North Carolina. At last ping on June 7, Contender's GPS shows he was stalking the waters east of Pamlico Sound, on the far side of the Outer Banks islands. Long-term research by OCEARCH has found great whites like Contender maintain a surprisingly wide range of migration, stretching from the eastern Gulf of Mexico in the south, all the way to the southern coast of Newfoundland, where seals and other 'high-calorie prey' can be found. Sharks often spend the warmer months off the coasts of Atlantic Canada and New England, before returning to the balmier waters in the south, OCEARCH says. GPS data from 48 different sharks show a high 'site fidelity' as well, meaning they often return to the same areas year after year. While this is Contender's first year of contributing data to the project, his path so far has him tracking north, and if he follows the traditional routes, the beast that OCEARCH calls the 'ultimate ocean warrior' may find himself in Canadian territory later this summer. 'Stay tuned as we continue following Contender on his journey to help protect sharks and the ocean ecosystem!' his profile on the organization's shark tracker reads.


Daily Mail
12-06-2025
- Science
- Daily Mail
Largest ever great white shark swims towards popular US beach resort
The largest great white shark ever recorded in the Atlantic Ocean has ominously surfaced miles from a popular tourist spot near North Carolina. After a brief disappearance, the shark known as Contender was tracked near the Pamlico Sound, a well-visited spot for summer beach goers. Contender, an almost 14-foot shark, was first tagged in January around 45 miles from the Florida-Georgia coast before he disappeared in May for several weeks. OCEARCH, that tagged and tracked Contender, is a nonprofit organization that collects data on large marine animals across the US and Canada. Contender's signal remained dormant until June 7, at which point he resurfaced near the Pamlico Sound - one of the biggest attractions on the Outer Banks. The Pamlico is the largest sound, or saltwater lagoon, on the East Coast and attracts thousands of tourists with its renowned reputation for water sports and quiet sandy beaches. Contender's SPOT tag, or satellite transmitting tags designed to track marine life, will track his movements for around five years to help researchers further understand migration patterns. A shark's tag pings a transmission once their dorsal fin breaks the waters surface. Researchers believe his time missing in action was during a critical feeding period in which he stocked up on energy supplies for his journey north, The Sacramento Bee reported. 'This time of year, white sharks are starting their late spring/early summer migration [May 16 to June 30], moving from their southern overwintering area to their summer/fall foraging areas in the northeastern US and Atlantic Canada,' OCEARCH's chief scientist and veterinarian Harley Newton told the outlet. 'We often see the sharks on our global shark tracker spend a period of time off the Outer Banks right before they move north, which is what white shark Contender appears to be doing,' Newton added. 'This may be due to rich food resources in the region and would serve as a time to feed and prepare before what nay be a journey of 1,000 miles or more.' The shark, believed to be almost 30 years old and weighing in at over 1650 pounds, was tracked to have come closest to the shoreline near Mosquito Lagoon in Florida. OCEARCH said that they chose the record-breaking shark's name after Contender Boats, a boat manufacturing company that builds semi-custom sportfishing boats. The company has partnered with OCEARCH by providing the vessel for their extensive missions. Upon Contenders original tagging in January, shocking photos showed the massive shark lined up alongside the boats. The average size for a male great white shark is around 12 to 13 feet and a female averages at 15 to 16 feet long. Shark enthusiasts were floored to see Contender's massive size, with many expressing their shock in the comments of a video shared by the research team on Instagram. 'So cool!! I need to look him up and see where he goes,' one comment read. 'Contender is the Man, I mean, Great White! What a beaut. Hope he avoids props, orcas and any other danger that can put this unique specimen down. Looking forward to following his travels. Ocearch, you people rock!!!' another comment added. 'He is so handsome! What a beautiful fishy!!! Thanks for studying them and protect them!! Sharks are awesome,' a third shared. Over 142 days, the huge great white traveled a total of 1,870 miles.