Biggest great white shark ever recorded surfaces off New Jersey

By Michael Lee Simpson

The biggest great white shark ever recorded in the Atlantic is on the move - and has surfaced just off the coast of New Jersey.

Contender, a 14ft predator, was tagged in the North Atlantic by OCEARCH in January - a non-profit organization that conducts research on large marine animals - 45 miles off the Florida-Georgia coast, off Jacksonville.

After heading north for the summer, to the Gulf of St. Lawrence, right off the Labrador Peninsula in Canada, to gorge on seals to build fat for winter, he made an epic dart south again.

Pinging multiple times in late October, off the coast of Cape Breton Island, Canada, the 30-year-old animal spent two weeks chasing the coastline south, surfacing just off Atlantic City, New Jersey, on November 12 and 13.

The 1,650-pound creature's tracker only transmits a locating signal when the shark's dorsal fin is briefly exposed above the water's surface.

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His move is normal for sharks. As water temperatures drop, our western North Atlantic white sharks begin their annual migration south.

Chris Fischer, OCEARCH founder and expedition leader, said: "Every ping from Contender gives us a window into the life of a mature male white shark - how he moves, feeds, and contributes to the population’s recovery.

"Contender’s journey from Florida to Canada represents the power of collaboration between science, innovation, and the public."

His reappearance comes as the OCEARCH team concludes its 2025 field season in Atlantic Canada, where nine additional white sharks were tagged and released in collaboration with the Tancook Islands Marine Field Station.

Dr. Harley Newton, OCEARCH’s chief scientist and veterinarian, added: "Atlantic Canada has proven to be a critical region for understanding the white shark’s summer and fall residency.

"Through multidisciplinary research, we hope to fill essential gaps in knowledge about abundance, reproduction, and health—data that will help inform conservation and management plans for this species."

OCEARCH’s research shows that most white sharks tagged in the U.S. Southeast - about 88% - migrate to Atlantic Canada each summer and fall.

Scientists at OCEARCH hope tracking Contender will reveal the world’s first known great white shark mating site.