CAPE HATTERAS, N.C. — A nonprofit recently pinged a huge white shark right off the coast of Cape Hatteras, about six months after initially tagging it off the Florida/Georgia coast.
OCEARCH says on the morning of June 7, the shark, Contender, pinged about 22 miles off the coast of Cape Hatteras.
At 13.8 feet long and weighing an estimated 1,653 pounds, Contender, dubbed the "ultimate ocean warrior," is the largest male while shark the nonprofit says it's ever tagged in the western North Atlantic white shark population.
OCEARCH says they're monitoring pings as Contender moves up the Atlantic coast as they research white sharks in the Northwest Atlantic.
"Every ping helps us get one step closer to understanding and protecting these incredible animals," OCEARCH shared in an Instagram post.
The group explained how the tag on Contender works, saying, "The SPOT tag... will provide valuable real-time data for approximately five years, helping us track his movements and understand his migration patterns. Additionally, we've collected important biological samples, including urogenital material, which are currently being analyzed."
If you're interested on following Contender's movements, OCEARCH has an app with real-time tracking data for numerous sharks.
