Record-breaking great white shark headed north, tracker shows

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) (Stephan Savoia/The Associated Press)

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, who researchers say is the northwest Atlantic Ocean’s biggest, baddest male great white shark ever “caught, SPOT tagged, released and now studied,” and who may be headed for Canadian waters some day soon.

First tagged 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.