Massive great white shark returns to Florida waters after epic year-long Atlantic journey

The Atlantic’s largest recorded male great white shark has returned to Florida waters just one year after being tagged.

After traveling as far north as the Gulf of St. Lawrence, the 14-foot, 1,700-pound shark known as "Contender" has resurfaced in warmer coastal waters, researchers said.

The shark was named in honor of the Contender Boats company. Scientists are closely monitoring the timing of the shark's return, as it may coincide with great white shark mating activity, according to news agency SWNS.

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Chris Fischer, founder of OCEARCH, a U.S.-based marine research group that monitors shark movements globally, said researchers hope to gain new insight into the largely unknown reproductive habits of great white sharks.

"Of the few clues we have, it seems like we need to be paying attention to the late winter and early spring area," Fischer told SWNS.

Contender was tagged off the Florida-Georgia border on Jan. 17, 2025 — marking one year of tracking his movements by researchers.

Using satellite tags, OCEARCH follows shark movements across thousands of miles and through international waters.

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"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 stated on its website.

The shark has made one of the longest recorded migrations by a great white in the Atlantic.

Contender was recorded off the coasts of New Jersey and Canada, as well as near Jacksonville, SWNS noted.

Fox News Digital previously reported that Contender was miles from Nantucket, Massachusetts, in the summer of 2025. 

He was also near Cape Hatteras, off the Outer Banks of North Carolina.

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Other great white sharks tracked by the research team include Breton and Goodall.

Researchers will be watching to see if Contender comes into contact with other sharks during this time.

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"Most importantly, will there be other mature male white sharks like Bretton and mature female white sharks like Goodall and others that are in that similar region at the same time?" Fischer said.

The months ahead, he said, will be critical in assessing whether Contender's movements are related to mating behavior.

To learn more about great white reproduction, scientists use not just satellite tracking but blood sampling and hormone analysis.

"We all have our eyes on him over the next 60 to 90 days," Fischer said.

Stepheny Price of Fox News Digital contributed reporting.