A popular summer destination has been put on notice after researchers spotted what they believe to be the largest white shark ever tagged in the western North Atlantic Ocean.
OCEARCH, a shark-tracking research group, says it has recently detected a great white shark dubbed Contender a mere 50 miles off the coast of Nantucket, Massachusetts. The research group says Contender weighs a whopping 1,653 pounds and is 13 feet and nine inches long.
The ocean giant was last pinged on Friday east of Massachusetts, between Nantucket Shoals and Georges Bank.
After tagging the great white shark, OCEARCH will track Contender for the next five years. The hope is for OCEARCH to learn about the species’ migration patterns.
So far, Contender has had quite a journey. Researchers first tracked the adult male in January and tagged him off the coast of Georgia. Contender then made his way down to Florida before heading up to the Outer Banks in North Carolina, where his presence previously made headlines.
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“The SPOT tag deployed on Contender will provide valuable real-time data for approximately five years, helping us track his movements and understand his migration patterns,” the group says. “Additionally, we’ve collected important biological samples, including urogenital material, which are currently being analyzed.”
As for how the group came up with the name Contender, OCEARCH says it’s to pay homage of Contender Boats, “a longtime OCEARCH partner, whose industry-leading sport fishing and pleasure boats enable our research missions.”
Largest Great White Shark on Record Swimming Off Popular Tourist Destination first appeared on Men’s Journal on Jul 22, 2025
