The biggest male great white shark on record has emerged in a highly unexpected spot after being tagged in Florida earlier this year.
Dubbed "Contender", the massive predator was discovered cruising off Florida's eastern coastline when marine research organisation OCEARCH successfully tagged him on January 17, 2025. Tipping the scales at 1,653 pounds and stretching an incredible 13 feet and 9 inches, Contender has been hailed as "a true ocean giant".
He's now surfaced in Canadian waters following an epic 3,120-mile voyage. The colossal shark has embarked on an extraordinary expedition, journeying from Florida right up to Atlantic Canada in what represents one of the most northerly movements ever monitored for great whites in the Atlantic Ocean.
Contender's position in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence is unprecedented for OCEARCH, according to Chris Fischer, founder and expedition leader of the charity. "Contender is up off the Labrador Peninsula right now," Fischer revealed to The Weather Network.
"He's in a place that we've never tracked a shark to, and he's also right on the northern edge of what's considered the white shark range," he continued, reports the Express US.
The great white shark is regarded as the most lethal of its kind. Whilst the thought of a gigantic great white prowling Canadian waters might not be entirely reassuring, it's actually positive news.
Fischer revealed that sharks serve a vital function in preserving a balanced marine ecosystem. "All these white sharks move up north every summer and fall to guard your fish stocks," Fischer said.
The predators help to maintain a thriving and varied ocean by controlling seal numbers. OCEARCH is working to bridge knowledge gaps surrounding poorly understood species like the great white and say even an appearance in UK waters would be a boon.
"It would be the greatest gift we could give to any region of the world for their future," Fischer told Sky News, "because that one shark would show people in this area and other research institutions where they can then potentially work on them and get more of the work going."
Speaking with The Times, Fischer added that there is a belief that Mediterranean white sharks "should be moving north to feed on seals"
"We believe they should be moving up past Brest [in Brittany] and Cornwall."
Although scientists and shark experts believe that UK and Irish waters present the perfect conditions for great whites, none have ever been spotted on British shores.
The research organisation securely tags sharks using satellite and acoustic tracking devices that are fixed to their dorsal fins. They broadcast live location information that both the public and scientists can access.
Scientists have already discovered that shark migration patterns are intrinsically linked to seasonal shifts. Fischer revealed that the autumn equinox marks the start of the sharks' journey south.
"We just passed through the fall equinox, which triggers that movement," he said. "We already have five sharks south of Cape Cod just since the equinox. They feel it. The equinoxes and solstices drive their lives."
Contender gets his name from OCEARCH's partner Contender Boats. Researchers tagged him 45 miles out to sea.
"Although we have tagged and released a number of sharks as part of this project, animals of adult size have proven elusive," Dr Harley Newton, OCEARCH's chief veterinarian and senior veterinary scientist, told Oceanographic after Contender was tagged.
"Male white sharks are mature at around 11.5 feet and 26 years of age, so Contender at 14 feet is an adult male probably in his early 30's and early in his reproductive life," she added.
"He is an important part of the effective breeding population and will hopefully contribute to the rebuilding of the western North Atlantic white shark population."