Giant Great White Contender Heads Toward Cape Cod, Tracked in Real Time
Contender, the western Atlantic’s largest tagged male great white at about 1,650–1,700 pounds, is migrating north from the Outer Banks toward Cape Cod and eastern Canada. Researchers track him with a satellite tag that only reports when his fin surfaces, giving partial location data with an expected five-year lifespan. The migration aligns with cooler northern waters as oceans warm, where seals and large schooling fish attract great whites closer to shore. There’s no record of Contender harming people; beachgoers should follow safety advisories. Real-time movements are available on OCEARCH’s Global Shark Tracker, alongside data from more than 100 other tagged whites to aid conservation.
