Great white shark Contender is on the move again. His travels reveal the secrets of shark migration

One of the largest great white sharks ever tagged by scientists for research is on the move again. The male shark known as Contender has been traveling along the east coast of North America this year, and his journey is attracting the attention of scientists and the public alike. It's not just about the impressive size of this particular shark. His movements provide scientists with valuable data on where great white sharks migrate throughout the year and how important different parts of the Atlantic Ocean are to them.

Contender measures approximately 4.2 meters (13.8 feet) and weighs around 750 kilograms (1,650 pounds). OCEARCH identifies him as the largest male great white shark that the organization has tagged, sampled, and released back into the ocean in the western North Atlantic. Therefore, it is important to state that he is not the largest great white shark in the world, nor the largest shark ever recorded in the Atlantic. This is a record among males tagged by OCEARCH within this specific population.

Contender was first tagged off the coast of Florida in 2023. Since then, scientists have been tracking his movements using a satellite transmitter, gathering information about his migration. Like other great white sharks from the western North Atlantic, he regularly moves between warmer waters in the south and areas of the North Atlantic that are rich in food during the summer.

In the summer of 2026, Contender once again headed north. His movement led him along the eastern coast of the United States towards Canadian waters. In late July, he was recorded near Nova Scotia. His journey thus once again shows that the northern part of the Atlantic is not just a random stop for great white sharks, but a significant seasonal environment.

And it is precisely the migration of great white sharks that is one of the most interesting topics in current research for scientists. These predators travel vast distances throughout the year, and their movements are not random. They follow areas where they can find sufficient food, suitable conditions for reproduction, or an environment in which they can spend a certain part of the year.

OCEARCH research shows that the Atlantic Canada region is extremely important for the great white shark population. According to their long-term data, 88% of tagged great white sharks from the southeastern United States have traveled to Atlantic Canada, where they spend a significant portion of their time during the summer and autumn.

One reason for this is the abundance of food. The North Atlantic offers very favorable conditions for great white sharks, and an important part of their diet here includes seals, for example. Their abundance, along with water temperature, helps explain why sharks are moving further north during the warmer months.

This is not an entirely new phenomenon. Great white sharks have been returning to Canadian waters regularly, but in recent years, their presence has received much more attention. Scientists today have technologies that allow them to track individual sharks over thousands of kilometers and compare their routes year after year.

Thanks to satellite tags, we now know that the migration of great white sharks can be incredibly extensive. Research published in 2026, which worked with data on 92 tagged sharks, for example, showed that the Gulf of Mexico and the Florida Strait represent a regular winter habitat for a significant portion of the western Atlantic population. More than half of the tracked individuals spent a significant part of their time there during winter and spring.

Sharks can thus travel thousands of kilometers between areas in a single year. They spend the winter in the south, then head north, and during the summer, they utilize the rich feeding grounds of Atlantic Canada. Tracking individual sharks therefore helps scientists piece together a much larger picture of how the entire population functions.

Contender is an exceptionally interesting "participant" in research in this regard. His size allows scientists to track one of the largest males in the western Atlantic population and compare his movements with other tagged sharks. Each new signal from the satellite tag thus adds another piece to the puzzle.

However, his journey also attracts public attention for another reason. When a large great white shark appears near popular beaches, headlines often immediately emerge warning of "danger." The reality, however, is far less dramatic. The mere presence of a shark does not mean it is about to attack a human. Great white sharks are a natural part of these ecosystems, and their movement is primarily a reaction to food and ocean conditions.

Moreover, the increasing number of sightings does not automatically mean that there are suddenly many more sharks. Better monitoring, more tagged individuals, easier sharing of observations, and changes in the marine environment all play a role. Scientists also point out that changes in ocean temperatures can affect where different species move in some areas.

Contender's story is therefore much more than just a story about a giant shark. It shows how important it is to view the ocean as an interconnected system. A shark that is off the coast of Canada today may travel thousands of kilometers in a few months and appear off the coast of the United States or in the Gulf of Mexico.

Every movement he makes helps scientists better understand how sharks use the ocean, where they find food, and which areas are crucial for their survival.

And that is precisely why monitoring such individuals is important for their conservation. The better we know their migration routes and important habitats, the better we can protect the places that sharks truly need during their lives.

Contender is thus not just a huge shark roaming the North Atlantic. He is also one of many sharks that, thanks to modern technologies, help us unravel the mysteries of the ocean. 🦈

Author: Miri Svobodová

Source: OCEARCH, The Guardian