Largest shark ever tagged by research group — nicknamed "Contender" — is swimming off north Florida
The largest male white shark ever tagged by the research group OCEARCH was spotted in Florida waters.
The shark, named Contender, was first tagged and released by OCEARCH on Jan. 17. OCEARCH tracks sharks to study their behaviors and migration patterns.
Contender, named in honor of OCEARCH partner Contender Boats, is the largest male white shark the group has ever caught, tagged and released in the Western North Atlantic Ocean. The adult shark is 13.8 feet long, and weighs an estimated 1,653 pounds, OCEARCH said. On social media, the organization referred to him as a "true ocean giant."
Contender was first spotted about 45 miles off the coast of southern Georgia. Since then, Contender has swum about 168 miles, moving further out to sea and swimming south towards northern Florida. On Friday morning, he was swimming in waters off St. Augustine, according to online tracking provided by his tag.
OCEARCH also said it had collected "important biological" samples from Contender, including some from his urogenital system that are being analyzed and will be used in other research, the organization said.
The tag on the shark will continue to provide his location for about five years, OCEARCH said. During that time, the organization will be able to track his movements. His location, and the locations of other OCEARCH-tagged sharks, can be viewed online.