The Largest Great White Shark Ever Recorded Tracked Along Coast of a Major U.S. Vacation Destination
The shark has earned the nickname Contender.
Published July 28 2025, 11:36 a.m. ET
Summer days at the beach may leave some with flashbacks of the movie Jaws, when a great white shark with a thirst for blood hunted in the waters of the island town of Amity. However, a real-life version of the shark may be cruising to a beach near you during the summer.
That's because researchers say they've tagged the largest great white shark ever recorded and have been following its movements as it swims off the coast of the U.S.
Want to know more about the shark affectionately called Contender? Keep reading, and learn how you can track the massive fish before you head to the beach to enjoy a dip in the ocean.
What is the largest great white shark ever recorded?
The research group OCEARCH says they have tagged the record-breaking shark with a tracker that allows them to follow the fish as he migrates. Contender was tagged in January 2025, when he was found approximately 45 miles off the shore of the border of Georgia and Florida's coastline.
Weighing in at 1,653 pounds, Contender measures an astounding 13 feet, 9 inches, according to OCEARCH, which uses something called SPOT tag to monitor the shark's movements.
"The SPOT tag deployed on Contender will provide valuable real-time data for approximately five years, helping us track his movements and understand his migration patterns," a statement on the OCEARCH website says. "Additionally, we've collected important biological samples, including urogenital material, which are currently being analyzed."
As for where the shark got his name, it looks like the moniker is a nod to Contender Boats, the company OCEARCH has partnered with as part of their research mission.
Where is the largest great white ever recorded?
Since researchers didn't have a tracker on Contender during the summer of 2024, they are still learning about his exact hunting or migration habits. This year has been fascinating for them as they track his every move using the SPOT tag they have been relying on to follow the fish.
OCEARCH has been busy updating the tracking log, sharing Contender's movements each time they get a ping from his tracker.
It looks like the massive fish spent the first half of the year down where he was originally found, traveling up and down the southern coastline. However, Contender made a massive deviation from his course towards the end of July, when researchers received a ping from his transmitter on July 18, 2025, off the coast of a very popular Massachusetts vacation spot.
Contender's tracker checked him in between Georges Bank and Nantucket Shoals, according to MassLive. And it looks like he may have company as he moves up the coastline in search of cooler waters. WBZ News reports that paddleboarders reported seeing another great white shark just 100 yards from shore while they were at Stony Beach.
Fans of the fish can follow along with his story and get real time updates by visiting the OCEARCH tracking portal, which will also allow you to keep an eye on the movements of other marine life that have been tagged by the organization.