OCEARCH UPDATES THE WORLD ON “CONTENDER,” THE LARGEST MALE WHITE SHARK IN THE WESTERN NORTH ATLANTIC

As OCEARCH wraps up its 2025 fieldwork in Atlantic Canada, new shark taggings and fresh pings from CONTENDER reveal critical insights into white shark migration, residency, and ocean health.

Jacksonville, FL, Oct. 29, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- OCEARCH, the global leader in ocean research and shark conservation, has released an update on Contender — the largest male white shark ever tagged, sampled, and released by OCEARCH in the Western North Atlantic population. After nearly a month of silence, Contender has resurfaced on the Global Shark Tracker, pinging multiple times between October 27–29 off the coast of Cape Breton Island, Canada, marking his latest appearance since September 29.

The renewed satellite-linked signals from Contender come just as the OCEARCH team concludes another successful field season in Atlantic Canada, where nine additional white sharks were tagged, sampled, and released in collaboration with the Tancook Islands Marine Field Station. This research continues to advance global understanding of white shark migration, reproduction, and health—data critical to returning our world’s oceans to balance and abundance.

“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,” said Chris Fischer, OCEARCH Founder and Expedition Leader. “His journey connects Florida to Canada, and his story represents the power of collaboration between science, innovation, and the public who follow him in real time. When we began this work, we never imagined we would one day reach 100 tagged white sharks in this population. That milestone represents not only scientific progress, but a growing global community united in understanding and protecting these apex predators and the oceans they sustain.”

About Contender

Contender was tagged on January 17, 2025, approximately 45 miles off the Florida–Georgia coast. Measuring 13.8 feet long and weighing an estimated 1,653 pounds, this mature male is now contributing to OCEARCH’s multi-year mission to study and protect white sharks across the Western North Atlantic.

The SPOT tag deployed on Contender transmits real-time location data for approximately five years, allowing scientists to map his migrations and identify critical habitats. Biological samples collected during his tagging are now being analyzed to provide further insight into white shark reproduction, health, and toxin exposure.

Atlantic Canada Field Research: A Season of Discovery

Between September 23 and October 13, 2025, OCEARCH watermen, scientists, and collaborators conducted their latest expedition off the coast of Nova Scotia, continuing a multi-year study of white sharks during their summer/fall residency in Atlantic Canada.

This recent fieldowork—led in collaboration with Dr. Nigel Hussey of the University of Windsor’s Tancook Islands Marine Field Station—tagged and released nine new white sharks: Brookes, Webster, Goodall, Ripple, Brass Bed, Mabel, Cross, Nori, and Ernst. Each SPOT tagged shark adds valuable data to OCEARCH’s open-source database, which now includes more than 100 tagged individuals in the Western North Atlantic population—the largest SPOT tagged white shark dataset of its kind in the world.

“Atlantic Canada has proven to be a critical region for understanding the white shark’s summer and fall residency,” said Dr. Harley Newton, OCEARCH Chief Scientist and Veterinarian. “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 findings show that 88% of white sharks tagged in the U.S. Southeast have journeyed to Atlantic Canada, underscoring this region’s importance as a summer/fall feeding and residency zone. Continued sampling and tagging in these waters will deepen understanding of population dynamics, reproductive cycles, and the environmental factors shaping this apex predator’s behavior.

Track Them Now

Follow Contender and all of OCEARCH’s tagged white sharks in real time with the FREE Global Shark Tracker™ App, available on [Apple App Store] and [Google Play].
Already, Contender has captured the world’s attention with more than 67,000 followers tracking his every move.

Help Power What’s Next

Every tag, every data point, and every expedition is made possible by OCEARCH’s community of partners, donors, and followers. To support ongoing shark research and ocean conservation, visit ocearch.org/donate

About OCEARCH

OCEARCH is a 501(c)(3) global non-profit organization conducting unprecedented research on our ocean's giants to help scientists collect previously unattainable data in the ocean. Our mission is to return our world’s oceans to balance and abundance through fearless innovations in critical scientific research, education, outreach, and policy using unique collaborations of individuals and organizations in the U.S. and abroad. OCEARCH is recognized as a world leader in generating scientific data related to tracking (telemetry) and biological studies of keystone marine species such as white sharks, tiger sharks, and more. OCEARCH provides a free open-sourced Global Shark Tracker™ and app that allows scientists, educators, and fans alike to learn about the never-before documented movements of our ocean's animals. The non-profit organization also provides a free STEM education curriculum that enables students to learn STEM skills while promoting environmental awareness. OCEARCH’s academic home is Jacksonville University, and our research is proudly supported by the following socially responsible organizations: Costa Sunglasses, SeaWorld, Yeti Coolers, Yamaha Rightwaters, Landry’s Inc., Cisco Brewers, Seakeeper Ride, SeaWorld Busch Gardens Conservation Fund, and Disney Conservation Fund. Learn more at ocearch.org

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Avery McAlhany
OCEARCH
864-990-6524
press@ocearch.org

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