© Mike Lang / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
(Canada) – He could have been a contender. Matter of fact, that’s his name — and he’s not only a contender, he’s the top rank. Just last week, in the Gulf of St. Lawrence — near the Labrador Peninsula — a massive great white shark was recorded. The 1,653-pound, 14-foot shark named Contender was first tagged in January off the coast of Jacksonville. And this latest ping is also one of the furthest north locations ever recorded for a great white shark.
OCEARCH is the agency behind the tracking. Their tags ping the receiver every time the shark’s dorsal fin breaks the water’s surface. The tracking also suggests Contender has been busy feeding ahead of winter. And it makes sense that the shark is packing on the pounds before the colder months — as just being in the cooler water up north requires additional energy.
Contender has been eating up seals, which helps protect fish stock. As seals swim and flee advancing sharks, they’re unable to consume fish, and typically eat around 25% what would be typical. So the sharks end up preventing over-fishing.
During the the 1960s and 1980s the world’s great white shark population declined by 9%, because they were overfished. Tracking programs aim to help boost their population. OCEARCH is a non-profit that focuses on studying large marine animals. Scientists say Contender could live to the age of 70 or older and grow over 20 feet long.
