ATLANTIC CITY, NJ — November 7, 2026 — A massive great white shark known as Contender has returned to waters off the New Jersey coast, according to tracking data from the marine research group OCEARCH.
The shark’s tag pinged on November 6 about nine miles south of Atlantic City, placing him once again along the migration route that brings large sharks past the Jersey Shore each fall.
Contender is no ordinary shark. OCEARCH says he is the largest male great white the organization has ever tagged — measuring 13 feet, 9 inches long and weighing 1,653 pounds. Researchers estimate he is about 32 years old.
The shark was first tagged in January 2025 off the Florida-Georgia coast. Since then, his movements have offered scientists a rare look at how mature great whites travel up and down the Atlantic seaboard.
What makes this latest sighting especially interesting is how closely it matches his path from last year. In November 2025, Contender was detected in nearly the same area off southern New Jersey, suggesting he may be following a consistent seasonal route.
That kind of repeat movement is valuable for researchers. It helps scientists better understand when and where great white sharks travel, how they use coastal waters, and what environmental conditions may shape their migration.
OCEARCH tracks sharks like Contender using a satellite tag attached to the dorsal fin. The tag sends a signal when the fin breaks the water’s surface, giving researchers a snapshot of the shark’s location. It does not track every moment of movement, but it can provide a reliable picture of long-range migration over time.
Great white sharks are regularly found along the East Coast, especially during seasonal transitions. As waters begin to cool in the Northeast, many sharks start moving south from feeding grounds in New England and Atlantic Canada.
For beachgoers, the sighting is a reminder that large marine predators are part of the Atlantic ecosystem off New Jersey. For scientists, it is another useful data point in the effort to better understand one of the ocean’s most powerful and least understood animals.
Residents who want to follow Contender’s movements can do so through the OCEARCH Global Shark Tracker, which publicly displays locations for tagged sharks.
Sources: OCEARCH, Asbury Park Press, Cat Country 107.3, The Philadelphia Inquirer
By NJ RADAR Team