OCEARCH, a non-profit research organisation that tracks marine animals, tagged the 30-year-old male great white shark named “Contender” in the waters east of Massachusetts
The world’s biggest shark is heading straight towards Martha’s Vineyard in the US, after being pinged near an affluent tourist destination.
The 14ft predator, which weighs a whopping 1,653 pounds, was recently detected on Friday afternoon, around 50 miles off the coast of Nantucket, Massachusetts.
OCEARCH, a non-profit research organisation that tracks marine animals, tagged the 30-year-old male named “Contender” in the waters east of Massachusetts, between Nantucket Shoals and Georges Bank.
It was seen heading towards the wealthy holiday destination of Martha’s Bay, home to celebrities and multi-millionaires. Former US President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama own a £10million mansion on the island.
OCEARCH first tagged the shark in the North Atlantic, 45 miles off the Florida-Georgia coast, off Jacksonville.
It took six people, including three fishermen and scientists, to tag and release “Contender”, which is then electronically tracked through the Argos satellite system, according to Dr Harley Newton, OCEARCH Chief Scientist & Veterinarian.
The predator can be tracked through OCEARCH’s Global Shark Tracker app, where anyone can follow the animal as it moves. The animal has been pinged several times, including on January 26 and February 6, which means the tag attached to the fin was spotted above the surface for a brief period of time as it swam. It was last pinged on June 7.
Dr Harley Newton, OCEARCH Chief Scientist & Veterinarian, previously told The Mirror there were some tourist hotspots the shark might visit.
She said: “This is the exciting question about Contender, as this is the first season we will be able to watch him migrate to a summer/fall foraging area.
“Although there are many places in the Northeastern US and Canada where he could go, there are two primary locations where many white sharks spend the summer: Cape Cod, Massachusetts or Nova Scotia, Canada.
“Though Contender is an adult male white shark, and the largest we at OCEARCH have ever tagged and sampled in the Northwest Atlantic, but he is certainly not the largest male white shark ever caught.
“Contender was 13 feet 9 inches total length and estimated to weigh 1653 lbs. But male white sharks can grow up to 18 feet.
“The adult age class animals have been more elusive than smaller, younger, age classes so we were excited to have the opportunity to tag, sample and release him. Based on our Global Shark tracker, he has travelled 1870 miles to date from the place he was first tagged and released. We won’t know until he shows us, which is all the more reason to follow him on the tracker.”