Massive Great White Shark Spotted Off The Coast Of Nantucket
50 years ago, beachgoers thought twice about entering the water after seeing a film titled Jaws (1975).
Now, we have apps like the OCEARCH Global Shark Tracker to instill a real fear in us … while also offering a sense of comfort.
Presently, a great white shark that is 13 feet and 8 inches long and weighs approximately 1,653 pounds is moving along the east coast of the United States.
This shark, named Contender, is the largest male shark ever tagged by a marine research group in the Atlantic Ocean.
Where Is The Shark?
In the last 189 days, Contender has travelled a total of 2,433 miles, according to OCEARCH’s tracker.
Initially tagged on January 17 off the coast of the Florida/Georgia border, Contender has been moving north, traveling all the way up to Massachusetts.
Its most recent pings from its OCEARCH tag have it positioned near popular tourist destinations, at approximately 100 miles south of Boston and 30 miles from Cape Cod.
This comes after the shark was previously pinged on July 18 at about 50 miles off the coast of Nantucket.
These pings occur when the shark comes to the surface of the water.
Within the waters of the Gulf of Maine, Contender is following trends maintained by other sharks, with OCEARCH posting on Instagram in June that sharks like Contender travel to cooler waters in the summer.
These waters are also “more prey-dense,” in that they provide a great potential of hunting subjects.
Learn more about Contender’s journey by watching this video from OCEARCH:
Live every week like it’s “Shark Week” with the OCEARCH tracker.