Particle.news
Download on the App Store
4 ARTICLES
·
last wk.

Record-Breaking Great White ‘Contender’ Detected Off Nantucket

Scientists will use SPOT tag data over five years to map the seasonal migration of the largest great white ever tracked in the western North Atlantic

Great White Shark Spotted At Nantucket Harbor
Image
Image
Image

Overview

  • On July 17, a satellite SPOT tag pinged Contender about 50 miles off Nantucket, Massachusetts, confirming its ongoing northward migration.
  • Weighing 1,653 pounds and measuring nearly 14 feet long, Contender is the largest great white shark ever tagged by OCEARCH in the region.
  • Researchers first tagged the adult male off the Georgia coast in January 2025 and obtained urogenital and other samples to assess its reproductive health.
  • Since tagging, the shark traveled south to Florida before returning north past Cape Hatteras to reach Massachusetts waters.
  • OCEARCH’s collaboration with Contender Boats is providing critical vessel support and funding for this multi-year study to inform shark conservation efforts.