As the seasons change, so do the migratory patterns of animals.
In particular, adult great white sharks in the Atlantic Ocean are moving south for the northern hemisphere winter, after gorging on seals during the warmer months in regions like Canada. And one great white that experts are tracking is bigger than the rest.
Contender, a 14ft, 1,653-pound great white holds the title as the largest-ever male great white tagged in the Atlantic, per Ocearch. And according to their latest pings of Contender, the massive male is heading south, passing through the United States East Coast.
When Contender was recently pinged off Ocean City, New Jersey, shark-watchers’ ears perked up. And he wasn’t that far off the coast, either.
“This is truly a massive shark,” said Rosie Moore, a wildlife biologist. “To put it into scale for you, this shark is 1,600 pounds and over 14-feet long. Just to understand the significance of that, male great whites and female great whites don’t really get the same size. Females get a lot larger. So, for a male, this is the top of the scale…as big as they get.”
Related: ‘Largest Great White Shark Ever’ Headed for US East Coast
By comparison, a handful of years back, controversial shark swimmer Ocean Ramsey captured footage of herself swimming with what was believed to be Deep Blue – a 20-foot-long, 60-year-old female great white, which many have called the world’s biggest.
Contender is much smaller, when stacked up against that. However, he’s still big by male standards. And because he’s so close to the eastern seaboard, he’s garnered attention. Specifically, is there any danger to east coasters?
According to Moore: “People think…‘Everybody out of the water, we’re all going to die.’ But fortunately, these sharks like to hang out pretty far off the coast, not necessarily in areas where people swim or hang out. You’re more likely to see it if you’re out boating.”
To follow Contender’s migration, check out Ocearch.
Related: Hawaii Shark Attack Survivor: ‘He Has the Best Attitude’ (Video)
