Largest white shark ever caught, tagged pings near Florida coast

close Video

Sharks seen darting along Texas beach prior to successive bites

The South Padre Island Police Department said that four people were injured by a shark on the Fourth of July. (Credit: X/Katie McMillan) 

The largest male white shark ever caught, tagged and released is approaching Florida’s east coast, near Jacksonville.

Contender, a 13.8-foot, 1,653 pound adult shark, was tagged on Jan. 17 in the western Northwest Atlantic, off the Florida-Georgia border. 

He appears to be moving south, most recently surfacing near St. Augustine at about 10 a.m. Thursday., according to OCEARCH, the research group that tagged Contender.

Contender, the largest white shark tagged by OCEARCH, is nearing Jacksonville, Florida.

MASSIVE 1,400-POUND GREAT WHITE SHARK PINGS OFF FLORIDA BEACH 4 TIMES IN 1 DAY

In a Facebook post, the group said Contender will provide valuable real-time data for about five years.

OCEARCH told affilliate FOX 13 Tampa Bay that the tag on Contender needs to be exposed to the air for around 90 seconds, to triangulate the shark’s location accurately.

Researchers will track the shark’s movements to understand its migration patterns. 

Great White Shark, photographed from the safety of a cage in South Africa (iStock)

SWIMMING IN A SHARK’S HOME: TIPS FROM AN EXPERT FOR AVOIDING AND SURVIVING AN ATTACK

At the time of tagging, the group also collected “important” biological samples from Contender, including urogenital material, which are currently being analyzed, according to the post.

Contender’s name is in honor of the Contender Boats company, which partners with OCEARCH.

“Their commitment to performance and innovation is essential to our ability to explore and protect our oceans,” according to the OCEARCH website. 

Cape Cod, MA – August 3: A view of a Great White Shark on a white shark research trip with the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy.  (Photo by David L. Ryan/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

SHARKS: 12 INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT THE MARINE FISH 

Great white sharks often leave their summer feeding grounds to enjoy warmer waters and more abundant food sources.

Marine biologists tagged nearly 400 sharks, mostly great white or tiger sharks, as of late 2024, Fox 13 reported.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

FOX 13 Tampa Bay’s Aurielle Eady and Fox Weather contributed to this story.

Alexandra Koch is a breaking news writer for Fox News Digital. Prior to joining Fox News, Alexandra covered breaking news, crime, religion, and the military in the southeast.