‘Biggest shark EVER tagged by researchers' – 14ft & 1,600lb great white dubbed ‘The Contender' – spotted prowling off US
THE biggest shark ever tagged by researchers has been spotted prowling up the US east coast.
Known as 'The Contender', the massive white shark is currently skulking around the North Carolina coast.
3
Stock image of a Great White Shark, Carcharodon carcharias, South Africa, Dyer Island
Credit: Getty
3
Scientists track its progress through a tag that "pings" every time the shark's fin breaks the water's surface
Credit: Getty
3
The behemoth was previously seen following the Gulf Stream south near Florida.
Weighing 1,600 pounds, the beast was first tagged on January 17 this year about 45 miles off the Florida-Georgia border.
It was the largest ever shark tagged by research group OCEARCH in the area.
Contender, an adult white shark, measures 13 feet and nine inches.
From its starting point, Contender stuck to familiar surrounding for the first few weeks of its journey, clinging to the area around the Florida coast.
Scientists track its progress through a tag that "pings" every time the shark's fin breaks the water's surface.
OCEARCH said the fin needs to be above water for around 90 seconds for the location to be fully accurate.
Its website says: "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."
Most read in The US Sun
Despite Contender's voyage trending south from January through to March, the latest pings have show the beast much further north.
The shark didn't emerge for a ping between March 12 and April 8, during which time it had made its way nearer to coastal North Carolina.
Contender has travelled more than 1,400 miles over the past 109 days.
Since emerging near North Carolina, the shark has been prowling up and down the state's coastal waters.
But beachgoers need not panic, as Contender has kept well clear of the shore so far.
The most recent ping on May 5 had the shark heading southwards in the vague direction of Onslow Bay.
OCEARCH's website describes Contender as "the ultimate ocean warrior" and a "mature male" specimen.
It also says his nickname comes in honour of Contender Boats - an old partner of the research group.
Read more on the Irish Sun
Sharks will tend to head north and further out to sea during the spring and summer months, according to biologists.
A good supply of seals off the northeast US and
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Irish Sun
a day ago
- The Irish Sun
Sex drug Viagra has surprising new health benefit and could help 3 million ageing Brits, say scientists
SEX aid pill Viagra helps stiffen your skeleton, a study suggests. The little blue tablet was found to increase production of vital bone cells — so could one day prevent back pain and fractures in old age. Advertisement Researchers found sildenafil, which is branded as Viagra, helped human stem cells transform into osteoblasts, the bone-building cells. These are vital as the human skeleton regenerates and is completely replaced roughly once every ten years. As we age, we lose more bone than we build, increasing the risk of breaks or osteoporosis, which makes bones brittle and painful. The Peking University team's follow-up tests on mice also suggested sildenafil would prevent bone loss. Advertisement READ MORE ON VIAGRA Dr Menglong Hu and Dr Likun Wu said: 'Our findings offer new insights into the physiological effects of the medicine. 'Sildenafil enhanced stem cell osteogenic differentiation and inhibited bone loss — it may usefully treat osteoporosis.' More than three million Britons suffer drugs . They said: 'Any new drug must be evaluated. This is time-consuming, expensive and risky. But sildenafil is approved and safe.' Advertisement Most read in Health Exclusive Studies have since suggested it might also reduce dementia risk. Why You Should Think Twice Before Popping Viagra Just For Fun (1) 1 Viagra could be useful in treating osteoporosis, scientists now believe Credit: Getty
The Irish Sun
2 days ago
- The Irish Sun
‘Disc-shaped' UFO spotted by US military in eerie footage newly released to public – ‘It has implications that are huge'
EERIE new footage taken by the US military has captured a never-before-seen disc-shaped UFO mysteriously darting through the air. Independent journalist Jeremy Corbell leaked the video and said he was stunned by the "implications" of the jaw-dropping sight. Advertisement 5 A 'disc-shaped' UFO has been captured in video taken by US military Credit: X/Jeremy Kenyon Lockyer Corbell 5 Independent journalist Jeremy Corbell released the footage Credit: KCAL 5 The object appears to zoom through the clouds before abruptly going the opposite direction Credit: X/Jeremy Kenyon Lockyer Corbell He published the video on his social media on Tuesday, which captures the unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) soaring through the clouds. Corbell said the clip has made history because of the Most UFOs caught on camera The video was taken by the military on November 23, 2020, and it was released after Corbell spent years verifying the footage with inside sources. Advertisement read more on ufos He said that US officials themselves admitted the UAP was a "disc" with an unknown origin. They said the craft "displayed abrupt movement and intelligent control" as it can be seen flying to the right before suddenly changing directions. The UFO also noticeably doesn't give off any heat signatures or signs of thermal propulsion like a normal aircraft would. Between the never-before-seen shape and the bizarre movement, Corbell said the sighting "has implications that are huge," he told the Advertisement Most read in The US Sun "This is the first time in history that military filmed footage of a disc-shaped UAP, designated as such by the military, has been captured on camera and released to the public," he said. Corbell explained that it was "astonishing" that a UFO of that shape could nimbly dart through the air without emitting heat signatures. UFO zooms past cruise ship at 'almost imperceptible speed' in eerie video as onlookers gasp 'what was that-!' "It's a perfect-looking disc, maybe it's an orb," he told The object is believed to be between 200 and 400 meters in diameter, but Corbell said that the size is debated. Advertisement It was captured flying around the border region of Afghanistan and Pakistan, according to coordinates seen in the corner of the video. The military still considers the object a UAP and continues to investigate the sighting, according to Corbell. 5 Corbell said that the object of the UAP is a first of its kind Credit: X/Jeremy Kenyon Lockyer Corbell 5 US military enhanced the video quality using artificial intelligence Credit: X/Jeremy Kenyon Lockyer Corbell Advertisement CORBELL'S CALL The journalist claims that he's spoken with service members who had first-hand experience witnessing the footage. He called for Congress to respond to the video and said that military whistleblowers are ready to testify and describe what they saw. Corbell hopes that releasing this footage will encourage transparency from officials who witness UAPs. "The source is legit. We know it's real," Corbell's cohost George Knapp said in their podcast Weaponized. Advertisement "It was not supposed to be made public. But it should've been." Corbell previously told The Sun that UFOs have been kept a secret so that militaries can adapt their technology for warfare. And he released disturbing details about a "huge alien aircraft" that was caught hovering over a US military base. What is the 'Tic Tac'? THE Tic Tac UFO is a mysterious flying object that U.S. pilots and experts have claimed to have witnessed over the last few decades. The first famous sighting with footage took place off the San Diego coast in 2004, after pilots on the USS Nimitz carrier strike group detected the object. Commander David Fravor believed it to be something beyond human technology - as it possessed extreme acceleration and no visible propulsion. Then in 2015, pilots on the USS Roosevelt off the East Coast captured footage of unidentified moving objects. They also showed no means of propulsion and moved at high speeds. Speculation online has caused alien fanatics to look for more Tic Tac-shaped space paraphernalia, including a Russian military base which appeared to be a Tic Tac UFO "charging hub". The Pentagon has also acknowledged other declassified videos of encounters, but have been unable to explain them.
The Irish Sun
3 days ago
- The Irish Sun
Mysterious ‘alien-like' sea creature that can devour prey 3 TIMES its size is found on UK beach
BEACHGOERS are being warned to be on the lookout for a mysterious "alien-like" creature after one was discovered on a UK beach. "Sea mice" are marine worms with a furry appearance that are unlike anything else in the sea and can grow up to six inches long. 1 'Sea mice' are active predators but are often washed ashore A dog walker found one of the strange critters recently on a beach in Wales. They are active predators, hunting small crabs and other worms on the It comes after beachgoers were urged not to pick up cone snails' shells as their venom can cause instant paralysis or even death. While they are not typically harmful to humans, "sea mice", which get their scientific name from Simon Parker recently discovered one of the creatures on a Welsh beach prompting discussion on social media due to its curious appearance. Compared by many to a fossil and even an "alien", the sighting has left many admitting that they had never seen anything quite like it. Simon was left flabbergasted after discovering one of the six-inch long creatures at Pensarn Beach, Conwy, and turned to tech to determine exactly what it was. Uncertain of its identity and intrigued by its green-flashing fringe he used Google Lens to determine it was a sea mouse. Most read in The Sun "I found it at the water's edge just after low tide," he told Wales Online. "Unfortunately it didn't appear to be alive. The sea mouse was approximately five or six inches long with brightly coloured bristles down the sides." Sea mice are not a rare species but their sightings are infrequent, often being washed ashore during stormy weather or left behind by exceptionally low tides. Another of them was located in March on Oxwich beach in Swansea. Mum shares urgent warning for summer beach trips with kids as pal's left in hospital following massive allergic reaction The Wildlife Trusts say the sea mouse is "unlike anything else in the sea". Despite its potential to reach 20cm in length and 6cm in width this intriguing find is in fact a type of Although it has a tendency to bury itself head-first in the sand this creature boasts a remarkable set of skills. Its spines typically have a deep red sheen, serving as a warning to potential predators. However when exposed to light, they flash blue, green, and gold, giving the worm a dazzling, iridescent appearance. This phenomenon, known as pseudo-birefringence, is the only known example of "photonic engineering" in nature, says the WT. The spines process light with nearly 100% efficiency – a necessity in the dimly-lit depths of the sea. Read more on the Irish Sun Some researchers believe that this unique ability could lead to the development of new communication technologies. Beauty and the beast While this creature is technically a marine worm, it is believed that the name "sea mouse" originated from its resemblance to a bedraggled mouse when washed up on shore. Its Latin name, Aphrodita aculeata, is equally peculiar. While aculeata translates to "spiny" the genus name Aphrodita refers to the ancient Greek Goddess of Love – allegedly due to the worm's resemblance to female genitalia. The sea mouse is an active predator that feeds on small crabs and other worms and is capable of consuming prey over three times its own body length. Every now and then they can be seen wriggling across the sand – a sight that invariably unnerves beachgoers.
