As college students flock to Florida’s sandy beaches, researchers are tracking a record-breaking apex predator also heading south for the holiday.
Contender, a 1,653-pound male great white shark measuring 13 feet, 9 inches, is being tracked off the coast of Florida, according to OCEARCH. As of Thursday morning, Contender was pinged just a few miles from Sebastian and is continuing south.
“Contender is a significant addition to ongoing research efforts in the western North Atlantic to understand the reproductive cycle and timing of breeding in adult white sharks, particularly in the overwintering period,” Dr. Harley Newton, OCEARCH chief scientist and veterinarian, said in a statement to Fox News Digital.
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PHOTOS: See the moment Contender is tagged by researchers
Researchers believe Contender, dubbed “the ultimate ocean warrior,” is the largest shark to be tracked by the organization, after he was tagged as he passed the Florida-Georgia border in January. The group is tracking Contender’s movements while also obtaining biological samples for analysis.
“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,” OCEARCH said.
While Contender is nearly 14 feet long, great white sharks can grow to lengths of 21 feet and weigh as much as 4,500 pounds, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Scientists are also keeping their eyes on an additional great white as it makes its way down the coastline. Dold, an 11-foot, 761-pound shark, was last seen heading south through Hobe Sound, approximately 100 miles ahead of Contender.
“Dold is named in honor of Dr. Christopher Dold of SeaWorld, a key figure in ocean conservation,” OCEARCH said in a statement. “Dr. Dold influenced the OCEARCH collaborative science model, helping connect experts together to drive shark research forward.”
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Dold, an 11-foot, 761-pound great white shark, is also being tracked by researchers as he makes his way down the Florida coast. (OCEARCH)
If the predators continue their current paths, Contender and Dold will soon pass by Fort Lauderdale and Miami before rounding off the southernmost point of the Sunshine State — though their tracks are not guaranteed.
“The data we get from the tags gives us insight into the movement and behavior of these animals,” Taylor Chapple, assistant professor and founder of the Big Fish Lab at Oregon State University, told Fox News Digital. “This is important for us to understand their role in the oceans — similar to how we track lions on the Serengeti to understand how they control wildebeest populations. They can also help us identify critical places in their lives, like key feeding areas or nurseries where babies grow up.”
Great white sharks are typically tagged by researchers using a dart to attach the trackers while the animal is free-swimming around the boat, according to Chapple. While the tags are completely safe for the sharks, they can also provide vital information to scientists.
“Tags even provide depth, temperature and acceleration data — which can reveal details about hunting behavior, diving habits and energy use,” Forrest Galante, a Discovery Channel “Shark Week” host and wildlife biologist, told Fox News Digital.
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Dold is named in honor of Dr. Christopher Dold of SeaWorld, a key figure in ocean conservation, according to OCEARCH. (OCEARCH)
As the massive marine animals close in on Florida’s spring break destinations, experts stress that shark attacks are tracking much lower than average across the world.
Last year, there were only 47 reports of unprovoked shark bites and seven confirmed fatalities worldwide, according to data released by the Florida Museum of Natural History. Out of 28 bites reported within the U.S. in 2024, only one was fatal.
“If you’ve ever been in the ocean, a shark has likely encountered you — you just didn’t know it,” Chapple told Fox News Digital. “If sharks wanted to eat people, there would be a whole lot less surfers in the water. We’re just not on their menu.”
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While thousands of college students are expected to hit the sands along Florida’s coastline in the coming weeks to celebrate spring break, Contender and Dold are not expected to put a damper on their plans as both sharks have stayed roughly 40 miles from the beaches.
To keep safe, researchers suggest swimmers should avoid wearing shiny jewelry, refrain from swimming at dawn or dusk and avoid areas where fishermen are present.
“Shark encounters are incredibly rare,” Chapple said. “You’re much more likely to die from a falling coconut or taking a selfie than a shark attack on your tropical vacation.”
