The largest male white shark ever caught, tagged and released is approaching Florida's east coast, near Jacksonville.

Contender, a 13.8-foot, 1,653 pound adult shark, was tagged on Jan. 17 in the western Northwest Atlantic, off the Florida-Georgia border. 

He appears to be moving south, most recently surfacing near St. Augustine at about 10 a.m. Thursday., according to OCEARCH, the research group that tagged Contender.

MASSIVE 1,400-POUND GREAT WHITE SHARK PINGS OFF FLORIDA BEACH 4 TIMES IN 1 DAY

In a Facebook post, the group said Contender will provide valuable real-time data for about five years.

OCEARCH told affilliate FOX 13 Tampa Bay that the tag on Contender needs to be exposed to the air for around 90 seconds, to triangulate the shark’s location accurately.

Researchers will track the shark's movements to understand its migration patterns. 

SWIMMING IN A SHARK'S HOME: TIPS FROM AN EXPERT FOR AVOIDING AND SURVIVING AN ATTACK

At the time of tagging, the group also collected "important" biological samples from Contender, including urogenital material, which are currently being analyzed, according to the post.

Contender's name is in honor of the Contender Boats company, which partners with OCEARCH.

"Their commitment to performance and innovation is essential to our ability to explore and protect our oceans," according to the OCEARCH website. 

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Great white sharks often leave their summer feeding grounds to enjoy warmer waters and more abundant food sources.

Marine biologists tagged nearly 400 sharks, mostly great white or tiger sharks, as of late 2024, Fox 13 reported.

FOX 13 Tampa Bay's Aurielle Eady and Fox Weather contributed to this story.

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Shark trackers recently reported that a 1,400-pound, 13-foot great white shark pinged off a Florida beach four times in one day.

The enormous adult shark, nicknamed "Breton," surfaced off Daytona Beach four times on Thursday, according to data from OSEARCH, a global nonprofit that collects data for research purposes.

After first "pinging" at 10:51 a.m. Wednesday, Breton pinged on Thursday at 12:37 p.m., 3:55 p.m., 5:30 p.m., and 6:49 p.m., according to data.

A "ping" is recorded when a tagged shark spends a brief period of time at the surface, according to OSEARCH. The tag is attached to the shark's dorsal fin.

SHARKS: 12 INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT THE MARINE FISH 

Breton continued traveling west on Friday and Saturday, with his most recent ping being in the Blake Plaeau, according to OCEARH.

According to the tracker, Breton has traveled nearly 139 miles in the last 72 hours.

He left the coast of Newfoundland in early November, making his way to Florida. 

He was the first shark tagged during OCEARCH's Expedition Nova Scotia 2020 and is named after Cape Breton, where researchers found him, according to his biography. Over the last four and a half years, he has traveled more than 41,000 miles.

Breton is the fifth shark OSEARCH has tagged at Scatarie Island in two years of working in the area, showing the white sharks may have predictable access, according to OSEARCH.

SWIMMING IN A SHARK'S HOME: TIPS FROM AN EXPERT FOR AVOIDING AND SURVIVING AN ATTACK

Researchers told affiliate Fox 35 Orlando that North Atlantic great white sharks often leave their summer feeding grounds to enjoy warmer waters and more abundant food sources. 

OSEARCH did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.

Fox 35 Orlando's Annabelle Sikes contributed to this article.