Contender, largest white shark, is near North Carolina

Thanks to tags, one can track the movements of dozens of specimens belonging to the predatory cartilaginous fish superorder

by Davide Madeddu

19 February 2026aggiornato il 20 febbraio 2026 ore 9:42

Contender, lo squalo bianco più grande mai avvistato. Il nome gli è stato dato in onore di Contender Boats azienda attiva nel settore delle imbarcazioni da pesca sportiva e da diporto, partner di lunga data dell’ente di ricerca Ocearch

2' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

Key points

Collected biological samples at the Contender shark
Sharks under observation

2' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

A year ago it was located in the Atlantic Ocean between Georgia and Florida. Contender, the largest male great white shark sighted to date, the size of a sedan, weighs about 750 kilos and is 4.2 metres long, is swimming off the coast of North Carolina a year after being sighted;

It is, as the Ocearch organisation points out, a mature male and its observation 'contributes to the mission of shark research and ocean conservation'.

By connecting to the organisation's site and thanks to the spot tag used on contender, one can have real-time data for about five years. Thanks to the tracker, one can trace movements and understand migration patterns.

Biological samples

"In addition, we have collected important biological samples," the organisation writes in the notes accompanying the map identifying the initial location in January 2025 and the current location, including urogenital material, which is currently being analysed.

Then an explanation of the name, "in honour of Contender Boats, a long-standing partner of Ocearch, whose industry-leading sport and recreational fishing boats enable our research missions. Their commitment to performance and innovation is essential to our ability to explore and protect our oceans."

Squalo ripreso per la prima volta nelle profondità dell'Antartide

Sharks under observation

The movements of Contender can be followed, as can those of Danny or Katya - off Australia - on Ocearch global.

These are three of dozens of sharks that, as the organisation points out, 'are part of an exciting multidisciplinary research effort'.

The research team also studies movements during the winter months to understand where sharks of all age classes spend time in the south-east, also collecting vital samples to explore their reproductive cycles and diet.

This research is useful in understanding and identifying the mating times of adult animals, particularly white sharks, in the western North Atlantic.