The largest male great white shark ever recorded in the Atlantic, nicknamed Contender, has reappeared in Canadian waters after previously patrolling the U.S. East Coast. The massive predator measures 13 feet, 9 inches and weighs nearly 1,700 pounds.
OCEARCH, a non-profit organization focused on shark research, registered a tracker ping from Contender on Wednesday at 12:03 p.m. ET. The signal originated in waters between Quebec and Newfoundland and Labrador, near the entrance to the Strait of Belle Isle. This sighting follows a period where Contender's tracker had gone silent in late April while the shark was near North Carolina. The shark briefly reappeared on July 10, but that signal did not reveal its exact location.
The recent data confirms that Contender traveled thousands of miles along the U.S. coast and has now moved into the colder waters of eastern Canada. OCEARCH noted that gaps in tracking data occur because the satellite tag transmits only when the shark's dorsal fin breaks the ocean's surface. Wednesday's signal was a 'Z-ping,' indicating a brief surface moment insufficient for the Argos satellite system to lock on for real-time location tracking.
Last year, Contender was observed near the Massachusetts coast in September, an area known for seals, which are a primary food source for great whites. He was subsequently seen traveling into Canadian waters, approaching the Gulf of St. Lawrence in Quebec, over 1,200 miles from his last known location off North Carolina in the spring. This movement aligns with the typical migration patterns of great white sharks, which move north during summer to follow suitable water temperatures and prey, with Atlantic Canada serving as a key feeding ground through the fall.
Recent activity has also been reported off the Maine coast, where a cluster of up to nine great white sharks, some estimated to be juvenile at six to eight feet long, were spotted near Pine Point Beach in Scarborough. While these sightings are considered uncommon in such a concentrated area over two days, experts attribute them to favorable summer temperatures and abundant prey, including baitfish and harbor seals. Officials have advised caution for beachgoers, urging them to stay close to shore, avoid swimming alone or near seals and baitfish, and to exit the water immediately if a shark is sighted. Maine has recorded two unprovoked shark attacks since 1837, including a fatal great white attack in 2020.