A great white shark, nicknamed Contender and measuring 13 feet, nine inches and weighing nearly 1,700 pounds, has resurfaced along the U.S. East Coast after disappearing for months. The male shark is one of the largest ever recorded in the Atlantic, according to research group OCEARCH.
OCEARCH researchers originally tagged Contender on January 17, 2025, approximately 45 miles off the Florida-Georgia coast. The satellite tag attached to his dorsal fin transmits location data when the shark surfaces. Since being tagged, Contender has traveled thousands of miles, migrating north along the coasts of North Carolina, New Jersey, and Massachusetts's Cape Cod in search of food.
The shark's tracking tag briefly reactivated on July 10, indicating its presence near the East Coast. However, the signal was a 'Z-ping,' meaning Contender only spent a few moments at the surface before diving back into the ocean. This brief signal did not provide enough data for the Argos satellite system to pinpoint Contender's exact location.
Contender's last known position was near North Carolina in late April 2026. Before that, he was observed in the waters near Massachusetts's Cape Cod, a known feeding ground for great whites due to the presence of seals. In September 2025, Contender traveled into Canadian waters, approaching the Gulf of St. Lawrence in Quebec, over 1,200 miles from his last known location off North Carolina. He has also been sighted near Canada's Cape Breton Island and in waters off Florida, including areas near St. Augustine, Daytona Beach, and Port St. Lucie.
Chris Fischer, founder of OCEARCH, noted that a 2023 study suggested waters near Massachusetts may be revitalized and increasingly populated by great white sharks. The study estimated that approximately 800 individual great white sharks visited the waters off Cape Cod between 2015 and 2018. Fischer believes that Contender could be one of tens of thousands of sharks that have returned to U.S. waters, attributing the increase to strengthened environmental and wildlife protections over the last 30 years, which have benefited shark populations and their food sources.
As summer progresses and more people visit beaches, scientists anticipate an increase in shark encounters due to greater human presence in areas that are also shark hunting grounds. Research from the Florida Museum indicates that Florida, Hawaii, and California are the states with the highest likelihood of shark bites. However, incidents have also been reported near the Carolinas, Texas, and New York's Long Island.