A scientist has revealed how much more one of the biggest great white sharks in history could grow after it reappeared close to Canada recently.
Contender is a 14ft shark that is regarded as the largest male great white shark on record, with a size and weight that makes Steven Spielberg's mechanical creation in Jaws look like a baby.
The shark has been regularly tracked by scientists in recent years, and is most commonly spotted close to the north American coast, but his latest appearance has seen him closer to Canada as he perhaps goes in search of some poutine and free healthcare.
Sharks are less than popular given their reputation for biting humans, so it's easy to see why folks might be a little frightened of such a behemoth, but the bad news is that it's move to Canada might see him get even bigger.
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Chris Fischer (who was literally named to study the seas) is the founder and expedition leader of OCEARCH, and he's revealed why he thinks Contender won't be getting any more slender.
He said: "Only a couple have made it that far north. An animal like that, spending the summer and fall up north - what are they doing? Well, a lot of what they're doing is preparing for the winter."
It turns out that Contender, the cheeky fellow, is going north so he can start eating a serious number of seals in order to put on enough weight so he can wait out the winter back in Florida.
While you might be tragically mourning the loss of seal lives, it turns out that this actually has an unexpected environmental benefit.
Fischer added: "The byproduct of putting that pressure on the seals is really good, they're guarding our fish stocks. We know that if the white sharks are in front of the seals putting pressure on them, they eat one-fourth as much per day.
"If that white shark's not there, those seals go out and they wipe out all the fish."
Although Contender is already pretty massive, and is believed to be around 30-35 years old, Fischer is keen to see where he heads next, and what he might like in a few decades time.
Suggesting that he could grow to as long as 20ft, he said: "It'll be really interesting to watch Contender this year. I want to know where Contender will be in March of 2026, in April of 2026. I think that could be a massive clue for identifying where they mate."
Contender is likely heading to Canada as a precaution, as without enough food reserves in the winter, he could die.
Fischer explained: "White sharks have the capacity to warm themselves and be in cold water, but they have to have a lot of food. Like horses in winter—as long as they have food, they're fine. If they run out of food, they freeze very quickly."
So, if you spot a shark in a few years time that looks to be three times the length of Peter Crouch, it's probably Contender.
James Moorhouse