A gigantic great white shark, the largest of its kind globally, has been spotted near Canada following an impressive 845-mile journey. The massive predator, measuring 14 feet long and weighing 1,653 pounds, was recently tracked just 7 miles off the Quebec coast on Monday morning.
OCEARCH, a nonprofit organization dedicated to studying marine life, disclosed that the 30-year-old shark named “Contender” has been covering an extraordinary distance of 11.5 miles per day. Previously detected on July 18 heading towards Martha’s Vineyard, a popular vacation destination for the wealthy and famous, Contender has now moved into the Gulf of St. Lawrence, situated north of Anticosti Island.
According to John Tyminski, a Senior Data Scientist at OCEARCH, the minimum travel distance covered by Contender since July 18 is approximately 845 miles, indicating an average daily movement rate of 11.5 miles. Tyminski revealed that Contender seems to favor spending time in Atlantic Canada based on recent tracking data.
Despite uncertainties about Contender’s next destination, scientists speculate that he may begin his southward journey by mid-October. White sharks like Contender are known for their opportunistic hunting behavior, adapting their movement patterns to prey availability, which may include seals, marine mammals, or schooling fish like mackerel and tuna.
As the days grow shorter and water temperatures drop, white sharks typically leave their foraging grounds in the fall and start migrating south. Tyminski noted that observations of white shark movements are expanding researchers’ knowledge of their geographic range and habitat preferences with each tagged shark, providing valuable insights into these apex predators’ behavior.