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 keep tabs on its location through a tracker that “pings” whenever the shark’s fin breaks the water’s surface.
But after several weeks off grid, the behemoth 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 whopping 1,600 pounds, 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, chief scientist and veterinarian at OCEARCH, stated, “At this time of year, white sharks begin their late spring and early summer migration, transitioning from their southern wintering zones to their northeastern U.S. and Atlantic Canada summer and fall foraging areas.”
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 further added, “Our global shark tracker frequently shows sharks pausing around the Outer Banks just before heading north, which seems to be the case for the white shark named Contender.
“This behavior might be driven by the abundant food resources in the area, providing an opportunity to feed and prepare for potentially extensive journeys of over 1,000 miles.”
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.”
It comes after a huge 20ft shark emerged from the water before stalking a tiny boat on Block Island.
The boat was seen slowly drifting towards the edge of the lake, while two dark shapes appeared to rise from the water.
