SerpApi.Org
As the summer heats up and the Atlantic water warms, a massive, record-breaking great white shark has been detected off the coast of one popular vacation hotspot.
Back in January of 2025, a massive male great white shark became the largest male white shark ever tagged in the western North Atlantic. Now, he's been detected off the coast of the Outer Banks in North Carolina, and it sounds like he could be headed up north to the Cape Cod area.
Massive Great White in Outer Banks
At 14 feet long and nearly 1,700 pounds, Contender broke a record last year as he became the largest great white shark to ever be tagged in the western North Atlantic. While he has been elusive over the past several months, he just recently resurfaced and is likely headed up the East Coast.
Scientists have been able to track the massive shark using a signal emitted by a tracking device whenever his fin emerges from the water. The creature was next detected last Wednesday, but the device was not exposed long enough to send out a strong signal to locate the shark, OCEARCH said. The last locational ping came back in April off the coast of the Outer Banks in North Carolina.
While researchers may not know exactly where he is, they speculate that he is headed up north, near some other vacation destinations.
“White sharks in the western North Atlantic typically migrate north and spend the summer and early fall foraging in the waters of Cape Cod or Atlantic Canada,” an OCEARCH spokesperson told The Sun.
“These two regions offer comfortable water temperatures and an abundant food supply, in particular abundant seals and large fish species.”
Big, But Not the Biggest
While Contender might be the biggest male great white shark ever tagged in the region, he is not the largest great white shark known.
The largest known white shark goes by the name of Deep Blue and has been seen swimming off the coast of Oahu, Hawaii. Deep Blue is around 20 feet and is estimated to weigh 4,500 pounds.
The shark was actually the inspiration for Steven Spielberg’s 1975 summer blockbuster film Jaws.
