Scientists Found a Massive Great White Shark Near Florida

The “great” in great white shark (Carcharodon carcharias) refers to the animal’s enormous size. But while we know they are quite large, how often do people actually get to see one in person? Well, recently, a team from OCEARCH bumped into the largest great white they’ve ever tagged, an ocean giant named “Contender.” Thanks to OCEARCH’s advanced tracking technology, we can now follow Contender across the ocean in real time!

A Rare and Record-Breaking Encounter

On January 17, 2025, research group OCEARCH located and tagged a gigantic male great white shark, now known as “Contender.” The shark’s name honors the Contender Boats that OCEARCH uses for their fieldwork. He was tagged approximately 40 miles off the coast of the Florida-Georgia border. Contender holds the title of the largest male white shark ever tagged by OCEARCH in the western North Atlantic. He weighs an impressive 1,653 pounds and is nearly 14 feet long. Scientists estimate that Contender is around 30 years old.

Collecting Vital Data from the Deep Blue Sea

In November 2023, the OCEARCH team began their “Expedition Southeast” to learn more about great white sharks, including where they spend the winter and what they eat. The team recently returned to the waters off the southeastern U.S. once again to continue this mission. During their most recent trip, they encountered Contender. They successfully tagged the shark and collected important samples from it to learn more about sharks in this region.

The team used baited lines attached to buoys to attract Contender to the side of the boat. Once the shark took the bait, the lines detached cleanly, and the researchers followed the buoys to carefully guide the shark alongside the boat. They gently restrained the shark while veterinarians and researchers checked his health and collected small samples from it. During this process, the shark remained mostly submerged in the ocean water alongside the boat, allowing the fresh seawater to move over its gills. This helped the shark to breathe and stay comfortable.

The team quickly measured and weighed the enormous shark and gathered various biological samples, including blood, tissue, parasites, bacteria, fin clips, and sperm. Then, finally, Contender was fitted with a “SPOT” tag (Smart Positioning and Temperature tag) and released back into the ocean.

While the health evaluation and tagging process might be a bit uncomfortable for the sharks, it doesn’t cause any harm. Data from the sharks’ tags show that they return to normal behavior and strong swimming within a few hours. Additionally, research indicates that this capture method causes much less stress compared to older techniques.

Why This Research Matters

While finding and tagging a massive shark like Contender is certainly exciting, his contribution to education and the conservation of his species is only just beginning. The biological samples collected from Contender will help scientists assess the shark’s health, diet, genetics, and hormone levels. DNA analysis will also provide insights into the population structure, interactions, and genetic diversity of great white sharks.

But one of the most extraordinary advancements in great white shark research today is Contender’s SPOT tag. The SPOT tag, which is attached to Contender’s dorsal (top) fin, lets researchers follow its movements and location. Every time his dorsal fin breaks the surface of the water, the satellite tag “pings” and sends tracking information back to OCEARCH, allowing the team to see where the shark is in real-time. By collecting these GPS locations, researchers can map Contender’s migration patterns and gain a better understanding of where great white sharks travel, the types of habitats they utilize, and their networks. In addition, the public can also follow Contender’s journey online or in the OCEARCH App.

A Giant Contribution to Conservation

Although we will have to wait to learn more from Contender’s tracking data and biological samples, scientists have already learned a lot about great white sharks from previous tagging efforts. Between 2012 and 2024, OCEARCH tracked 92 white sharks, which provided several key insights into their behavior. For example, great white sharks in the western North Atlantic tend to gather in Atlantic Canada and Cape Cod to feed during the summer months. The data also showed that great white sharks are more common near popular swimming beaches than previously thought, although encounters with humans in these areas remain rare.

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