The world’s most elusive white shark appeared in Canada and could solve the biggest puzzle in marine biology

He white shark Considered by many experts to be the largest in the world seen in the wild appeared off the coast of Canada and fed on local seals.

The individual, known as Contenderwas marked in January by the protectionist organization OCEARCH; hence it is possible to follow its movements every time a certain part of one of its fins is out of the water.

Last week, Contender emitted a sound from the confines of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence, next to the Labrador Peninsula, in Canada, and alerted specialists.

What is Contender doing in Canada?

Chris Fischerthe founder of OCEARCH, maintains that Contender is «one of the northernmost emitter sharks we had.» The animal typically feeds on seals during the summer and fall to gain fat for its return to Florida in the winter.

He is “putting a lot of pressure on the seals, constantly eating them, swimming in front of seal colonies, trying to gain some weight before returning to Florida for next winter”Fischer confirms, as read in the New York Post.

The Great White Shark Contender. Photo: Instagram @ocearch

Although it sounds terrible, the shark eating the seals benefits the environment because it inadvertently protects fish stocks.

“We know that if the white sharks are in front of the seals putting pressure on them, they eat a quarter of what they eat per day. If that white shark is not there, those seals come out and kill all the fish”, explains the specialist.

And he also adds a curious fact: white sharks They can swim in cold water as long as they have food. If they run out, they freeze.

What Contender is like, the most elusive white shark in the world

The largest and most elusive white shark in the Atlantic is 30 years old, It measures more than 4 meters long and weighs 749 kilograms. Due to its age, specialists estimate that it could grow up to 6 meters longer.

Contender, which reached the coasts of Florida and Georgia in January, represents hope for a recovering population that was decimated decades ago. “We eliminated sharks so drastically in the 1970s, 1980s and 1960s that our population was reduced to nine percent,” Fischer acknowledges.

A specimen of white shark. Illustrative photo: Shutterstock

For him, being able to follow Contender could make a dream of biologists come true: help them understand where and when their mating occurs. “These big mature males are enormously important,” says Fischer.

Tracking data from the Contender satellite, which will run for five years, could lead to an unprecedented scientific breakthrough. “A white shark mating site has never been identified in any of the world’s nine populations,” Fischer said. “It would be the first time”.

There are conflicting versions about which is the largest white shark in the world. Although many maintain that it is Contender, there is no reliable evidence that this is the case.

Who there is a record of is Deep Bluewhich measures about 6 meters in length. The other shark that completes the triad of giants is Haxtonalso known as The Queen of the Ocean.