THE biggest white shark ever tagged by scientists has been spotted heading towards a popular tourist beach.
Named ‘The Contender’, the vast beast hasn’t been heard from for several weeks.
The massive shark has been skulking around the North Carolina coast for the past few months.
Scientists through a tracker that “pings”; whenever the shark’s fin breaks the water’s surface.
But after several weeks off grid, has surfaced again – this time near the popular North Carolina tourist area of Pamlico Sound.
The latest ping sounded on June 7, just before 10pm.
The scientists’ tracking map appears to show The Contender making a move north since it last appeared.
Weighing a , the shark was first tagged on January 17 this year.
The Contender started its journey about 45 miles off the Florida-Georgia border.
It is the largest ever shark tagged the research group OCEARCH.
The adult white shark measures a staggering 13 feet and nine inches.
Dr Harley Newton, OCEARCH’s chief scientist and veterinarian, said: “This time of year white sharks are starting their late spring/early summer migration moving from their southern overwintering area to their summer/fall foraging areas in the northeastern US and Atlantic Canada.”;
The Contender’s previous ping came on May 21, when it was much further south along North Carolina’s coast.
However, beachgoers need not panic, as the shark is still swimming a fair distance from the coastline.
Dr Newton added: “We often see the sharks on our global shark tracker spend a period of time off the Outer Banks right before they move north, which is what white shark Contender appears to be doing.
“This may be due to rich food resources in the region and would serve as a time to feed and prepare before what may be a journey of 1,000 miles or more.”;
OCEARCH’s website calls Contender “the ultimate ocean warrior”; and a “mature male”; specimen.
It adds that his nickname comes in honour of Contender Boats – an old partner of the research group.
The website says: “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.
“Additionally, we’ve collected important biological samples, including urogenital material, which are currently being analysed.”;
