The biggest great white shark ever recorded in the Atlantic Ocean has pinged back onto trackers for the first time in months. Researchers believe he may be making his way toward Cape Cod.
Contender, a 14-foot great white fitted with a tracking tag by research organization OCEARCH, last gave a confirmed location off the Outer Banks of North Carolina in April.
On July 8 he briefly broke the surface again, triggering what researchers call a “Z-ping,” a weak signal that confirms the shark is on the move but doesn’t give a precise location.
OCEARCH said the signal typically occurs when the shark’s fin-mounted tag is only briefly at the surface, with just one satellite message received rather than the three or more needed to calculate a reliable position.
Shark possibly headed for tourist location
Based on typical migration patterns for great whites in the western North Atlantic, researchers believe Contender is most likely making his way toward Cape Cod or Atlantic Canada, both of which offer the warm summer waters and abundant food supply the species favors.
Seals in particular are a key part of the great white’s diet, and both regions have large populations.
Contender was first tagged on January 17, 2025, around 45 miles off the Georgia-Florida border. He has since traveled more than 7,000 miles and remains the largest great white ever recorded in the Atlantic at 14 feet, though he still has a long way to go before matching Deep Blue, the largest great white ever estimated at around 20 feet, spotted near Hawaii.
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