Two great white sharks, including a massive 1,653 pound male, surfaced off Treasure Coast waters Sunday and Monday.
A 13-foot 9-inch shark, nicknamed "Contender" by the OCEARCH scientists who tagged it, pinged off the Indian River County coast, northeast of Vero Beach at 10:09 a.m. Feb. 24.
Contender is the biggest male great white shark ever tagged by OCEARCH scientists.
The large shark previously pinged on Valentine's Day, Feb. 14, off the Brevard County coast.
On Monday morning, Feb. 24, Danny, a 9-foot great white shark pinged twice off the Jupiter Island coast, at 5:30 a.m. and 6:09 a.m.
Danny was tagged on Jan. 17 and first pinged in Florida waters on Jan. 18 east of Amelia Island. The shark then swam as far south as the Florida Keys before backtracking.
A ping means the satellite tag attached to the shark’s dorsal fin moved above water and transmitted location information to the OCEARCH shark tracker.
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Here's what to know about the massive white shark Contender, Danny, great white sharks in Florida and the OCEARCH shark tracker.
Great white shark Contender is biggest male ever tagged by research group OCEARCH
Contender measured 13 feet, 9 inches and weighed 1,653 pounds at the time, making it the largest male white shark tagged by OCEARCH.
"Contender is the largest male white shark the OCEARCH team has sampled, tagged, released and studied to date in the NW Atlantic white shark population! So he's pretty special," Nicole Ralson, OCEARCH chief marketing officer, said in an email.
What do we know about great white shark Contender, who has surfaced repeatedly in Florida?
"Meet Contender, the ultimate ocean warrior! This powerful white shark was tagged on January 17, 2025, off the FL/GA coast, about 45 miles offshore," the shark's tracker page reads. "Contender is a mature male now contributing to OCEARCH’s mission of shark research and ocean conservation."
Contender first surfaced in Florida on Jan. 26, 2025, when the shark pinged three times off the Fernandina Beach coast. Since then, it has pinged repeatedly, zig-zagging between Amelia Island and Jacksonville Beach before swimming south to the waters off St. Augustine on Feb. 6, Volusia County on Feb. 8 and 9 before heading to Brevard County waters.
According to its tracker, the shark has traveled 346 miles since being tagged.
Contender was reportedly named for Contender Boats, a longtime OCEARCH partner.
What to know about great white shark Danny, recently tagged by OCEARCH off Florida-Georgia coast
Great white shark Danny was 9 foot, 6 inches long, weighed 462 pounds and was classified a subadult when tagged offshore, near the Florida-Georgia line on Jan. 17.
The male shark has traveled 414 miles since then, its tracker shows.
Danny was named after "one of OCEARCH's biggest fans and supporters," the shark's tracker page states.
"By tracking Danny, we’re not only unlocking new insights into the life history of white sharks but also connecting to the people like Danny who help make this research possible. We’ll continue to follow his travels and look forward to uncovering more about his role in the ecosystem as well as his migration patterns. Through ongoing efforts like these, we aim to deepen our understanding of sharks and continue our work toward protecting these incredible creatures. Stay tuned for more updates on Danny’s journey and his important role in ocean conservation!"
Why are great white sharks in Florida?
North Atlantic great white sharks are known to leave their summer feeding grounds off Atlantic Canada and New England to head as far south as Florida and the Gulf, for warmer waters and more abundant food sources.
OCEARCH experts said during the warmer months, these apex predators take advantage of the abundant seal populations and rich prey resources found in these areas. As temperatures drop and food sources dwindle, white sharks are triggered by a combination of decreasing water temperatures and changes in daylight hours, prompting their southward migration.
Think of them as the snowbirds of sharks.
Most of them tend to stay away from the beaches in continental shelf waters, according to OCEARCH chief scientist Dr. Bob Hueter.
Where in Florida are great white sharks found?
Great white sharks are found in every ocean, though they stay away from the colder waters of Antarctica and the Arctica. They can be found around Florida's coast, from the state's east coast to the Gulf.
How many great white sharks are there?
There's no absolute data on the global population of white sharks and estimates vary widely – from 3,000 to over 10,000.
According to NOAA Fisheries:
What do great white sharks eat?
According to NOAA Fisheries, white sharks have a diverse and opportunistic diet of fish, invertebrates, and marine mammals.
Juvenile white sharks mainly eat bottom fish, smaller sharks and rays, and schooling fish and squids.
Larger white sharks often gather around seal and sea lion colonies to feed and also occasionally scavenge dead whales.
Great white shark facts
OCEARCH shark tracker: Follow great white sharks in Florida, beyond
North Atlantic great white sharks migrate as far south as Florida and the Gulf in winter, searching for warmer waters and more food sources.
OCEARCH has tagged 125 white sharks, many of them along the Eastern Seaboard and Nova Scotia.
You can follow their journeys on the OCEARCH shark tracker website or by downloading the OCEARCH Global Shark Tracker app.
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