Thu Jun 19 11:20:00 UTC 2025: **FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE**
**Giant Great White Shark “Contender” Surfaces Off North Carolina Coast**
**CAPE HATTERAS, NC** – A massive great white shark, dubbed “Contender” and the largest tagged in the Atlantic, has been detected off the coast of North Carolina near Cape Hatteras this week, according to OCEARCH, a global non-profit marine research group.
Contender, a male measuring nearly 14 feet long and weighing in at 1,653 pounds, was first tagged by researchers off the Florida-Georgia coast in January. The recent “ping,” indicating that his tracking tag surfaced and transmitted data, provides valuable insight into the migration patterns of great white sharks in the Northwest Atlantic.
“Contender’s movements are giving us critical data about the lives of white sharks,” OCEARCH stated on social media. These “pings” allow scientists to track the shark’s location and understand its behavior.
Experts believe Contender, estimated to be just over 30 years old, is likely migrating north in search of warmer waters and a richer food supply, a common behavior for great whites this time of year.
“Every ping helps us get one step closer to understanding and protecting these incredible animals,” OCEARCH wrote on Facebook.
The timing of Contender’s appearance coincides with the upcoming July 4 holiday and the 50th anniversary of the movie *Jaws*, leading to speculation about the reasons for his northern migration.
The public can follow Contender and other sharks via the free OCEARCH Global Shark Tracker App, available on iOS, Android, and at ocearch.org.
First Piper 