The largest male great white shark ever tagged and released is currently journeying south along Florida's eastern coastline, nearing Jacksonville. Nicknamed 'Contender,' this impressive shark measures 13.8 feet long and weighs in at 1,653 pounds. He was initially tagged on January 17th in the western Northwest Atlantic, off the Florida-Georgia border, by the research organization OCEARCH.

Contender's location was last recorded near St. Augustine on Thursday morning. The data he provides will offer valuable insights into shark migration patterns and behavior for approximately five years. OCEARCH explained that Contender's tag needs to surface for about 90 seconds to transmit location data accurately. This information, combined with biological samples collected during tagging, including urogenital material currently under analysis, will contribute significantly to our understanding of these apex predators.

Contender's name honors Contender Boats, an OCEARCH partner. The organization emphasizes the company's dedication to performance and innovation, which are crucial to ocean exploration and conservation efforts.

Great white sharks are known to migrate from their summer feeding areas to warmer waters with more plentiful food sources. As of late 2024, marine biologists had tagged nearly 400 sharks, primarily great white and tiger sharks, contributing to ongoing research and conservation efforts.