Biggest Male White Shark Recorded Tracked Off Atlantic City Coast

ATLANTIC OCEAN — A record-breaking white shark emerged off the South Jersey coast Wednesday night as he makes his way south for the winter.

Contender, a 14-foot 9-inch white shark weighing 1,653 pounds, "pinged" miles off the coast of Atlantic City on Nov. 12, according to non-profit group OCEARCH, which tags sharks to further understand their migration patterns. A "ping" is when the shark's dorsal fin breaks water and sends location data to the group.

He was first tagged on Jan. 17, 2025 off the Florida/Georgia coast. OCEARCH said he was the biggest male white shark they had tagged.

“Every ping from Contender gives us a window into the life of a mature male white shark—how he moves, feeds, and contributes to the population’s recovery,” said Chris Fischer, OCEARCH Founder and Expedition Leader, when Contender previously pinged off Canada in late October. “His journey connects Florida to Canada, and his story represents the power of collaboration between science, innovation, and the public who follow him in real time. When we began this work, we never imagined we would one day reach 100 tagged white sharks in this population. That milestone represents not only scientific progress, but a growing global community united in understanding and protecting these apex predators and the oceans they sustain.”

Contender was named after a long-time OCEARCH partner, Contender Boats.

You can track Contender's journey here.