Florida
Colossal white shark tagged by OCEARCH, frequent Florida visitor, pings in rare location
Sharks could help predict hurricanes
Researchers at the University of Delaware and hoping that sharks equipped with sensor tags can help forecasters better predict hurricanes.
The largest male great white shark ever tagged and released by the nonprofit research group OCEARCH is making waves again, this time with a rare ping location.
The 13-foot, 9-inch, 1,653-pound shark, nicknamed Contender, was tagged in the waters off the Florida-Georgia border in January 2025.
Shortly after, Contender toured the east coast of Florida.
The massive animal first surfaced in Sunshine State waters on Jan. 26, 2025, pinging three times off the Fernandina Beach coast. Contender then zig-zagged between Amelia Island and Jacksonville Beach before swimming south to the waters off St. Augustine on Feb. 6, Volusia County on Feb. 8 and 9, and Brevard County waters on Feb. 10.
Contender then headed north, pinging off Cape Cod, Massachusetts, in July — staying “silent” (or no pings) until Sept. 29.
That’s when the shark pinged about 857 miles north, in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, northeast of Anticosta Island, Canada, a region OCEARCH-tagged sharks rarely ping from, the group’s senior data scientist John Tyminski said in an Instagram video.
“Big shark, big journey,” Tyminski said.
Tyminski said the food supply – harbor and gray seals, along with abundant schooling fish, such as mackerel and herring – is what’s most likely drawing Contender into the 50-degree waters.
Here’s what to know about Contender, OCEARCH and great white sharks:
Contender is the biggest male great white shark tagged by OCEARCH
Contender measured 13 feet, 9 inches and weighed 1,653 pounds at the time of tagging, making it the largest male white shark ever tagged by OCEARCH.
“Contender is the largest male white shark the OCEARCH team has sampled, tagged, released and studied to date in the NW Atlantic white shark population! So he’s pretty special,” Nicole Ralson, OCEARCH chief marketing officer, said in an email.
Massive great white shark caught and tagged off Florida-Georgia coast
Contender is a 1,653-pound great white shark, the largest male tagged and released by OCEARCH scientists. He was tagged off the Florida-Georgia coast.
What do we know about OCEARCH great white shark Contender, who has surfaced several times in Florida?
Contender, an adult male white shark, was tagged by OCEARCH off the Georgia-Florida coast on Jan. 17, 2025.
“Meet Contender, the ultimate ocean warrior! This powerful white shark was tagged on January 17, 2025, off the FL/GA coast, about 45 miles offshore,” the shark’s tracker page reads. “Contender is a mature male now contributing to OCEARCH’s mission of shark research and ocean conservation.”
According to his tracker, Contender has traveled 3,210 miles since being tagged.
Contender was reportedly named for Contender Boats, a longtime OCEARCH partner.
What is OCEARCH? What does research group do for great white sharks?
OCEARCH is a nonprofit research organization studying the ocean’s giants.
The group studies keystone species, including great white sharks, essential for the health of the oceans.
“At OCEARCH, we’re on a mission to solve the Global White Shark Puzzle. There are nine populations of white sharks across the globe and OCEARCH’s goal is to assist regional scientists to better understand the life of the white shark in each of these populations,” the group’s website states.
Jacksonville University has been the academic home for OCEARCH for nearly a decade and the planned new location for the group’s new headquarters facility is in Mayport, Florida.
How many great white sharks are there?
There’s no absolute data on the global population of white sharks and estimates vary widely – from 3,000 to over 10,000.
According to NOAA Fisheries:
- The stock status for white shark populations in U.S. waters is unknown and no stock assessments have been completed. No stock assessments are currently planned in the Atlantic.
- Research by NOAA Fisheries scientists indicates that abundance trends have been increasing in the northwest Atlantic since regulations protecting them were first implemented in the 1990s.
- According to a NOAA Fisheries status review and recent research, the northeastern Pacific white shark population appears to be increasing and is not at risk of becoming endangered in U.S. waters.
What do great white sharks eat?
According to NOAA Fisheries, white sharks have a diverse and opportunistic diet of fish, invertebrates and marine mammals.
Juvenile white sharks mainly eat bottom fish, smaller sharks and rays, and schooling fish and squids.
Larger white sharks often gather around seal and sea lion colonies to feed and also occasionally scavenge dead whales.
Great white sharks in Florida: Why are they here? What to know
North Atlantic great white sharks spend winters off the southeast U.S., from South Carolina to Florida and the Gulf of Mexico. Here’s why.
Great white shark facts
- Weight: Up to 4,500 pounds
- Length: About 4 feet (at birth) and up to 21 feet (adult)
- Lifespan: 70 years or more
- Threats: Bycatch, Habitat Impacts, Overfishing. According to NOAA Fisheries, the white shark is a prohibited species (no retention allowed) in all U.S. waters and fisheries. There are no commercial fisheries for white sharks, but they are occasionally caught as bycatch.
- Region: Alaska, New England/Mid-Atlantic, Pacific Islands, Southeast, West Coast
- Teeth: Great white sharks have 300 teeth but don’t chew their food. Instead, they rip it into pieces and swallow it whole. The sharks have an endless supply of teeth, with lost teeth regenerating infinitely.
- Smell: According to OCEARCH, great white sharks can sniff out a single drop of blood in an Olympic-sized swimming pool.
- Sight: Great white sharks can see well in low light, enabling them to hunt at dawn, dusk, or in deep waters, OCEARCH reported.
- Additionally, white sharks can detect weak electrical signals emitted by living creatures, even under sand. They also identify vibration changes in the water, allowing them to find prey by sensing movement.
OCEARCH shark tracker: Follow great white sharks in Florida, beyond
North Atlantic great white sharks migrate as far south as Florida and the Gulf in winter, searching for warmer waters and more food sources.
According to the group’s website, OCEARCH is “a global nonprofit organization conducting unprecedented research on our oceans’ giants in order to help scientists collect previously unattainable data in the ocean.”
OCEARCH has tagged 140 white sharks, many of them along the Eastern Seaboard and Nova Scotia.
You can follow their journeys on the OCEARCH shark tracker website or by downloading the OCEARCH Global Shark Tracker app.
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Charmaine Hickey, of Lang Realty in Port St. Lucie, was named in KNOW Women’s “100 Women to KNOW in America” list.
A Treasure Coast woman was named in a “100 Women to know in America” list for 2026.
KNOW Women is a global media company dedicated to giving women leaders connections and visibility. The company released a list of “100 Women to know in America” for 2026 to highlight the most influential women in business and leadership.
Charmaine Hickey, who works for Lang Realty in Port St. Lucie, was on the list.
“Charmaine’s recognition on a national stage like this comes as no surprise,” said Scott Agran, president of Lang Realty in a news release. “Her leadership, integrity, and commitment to both her profession and her community exemplify what this award stands for. She represents the very best of our industry.”
Hickey holds many industry designations and is known for her expertise in complex real estate transactions, as well as her client-first approach defined by honesty, patience and attention to detail, according to the news release.
Her community involvement includes serving on nonprofit boards, mentoring emerging leaders and supporting initiatives focused on education, women, families and youth.
“I am truly honored to be recognized among such an inspiring group of women,” said Hickey in the news release. “This award reflects not just individual achievement, but the power of community, mentorship, and lifting others as we grow. I’m grateful to be part of a network of women who are building meaningful impact every day.”
To see the full list go to theknowwomen.com.
Olivia Franklin is TCPalm’s trending reporter. You can contact her at olivia.franklin@tcpalm.com, 317-627-8048 or follow her on X @Livvvvv_5.
A Florida surgeon who is facing criminal charges after allegedly removing a patient’s liver instead of his spleen has said he is “forever traumatized” by that person’s death.
In a deposition from November that was recently obtained by NBC, 44-year-old Thomas Shaknovsky described the death of 70-year-old William Bryan as an “incredibly unfortunate event that I regret deeply”.
Bryan died after the botched surgery; and in April, a grand jury in Tallahassee indicted Shaknovsky on a charge of manslaughter.
“I’m forever traumatized by it and hurt by it,” Shaknovsky added, also saying that wrong-site surgeries can happen “during difficult circumstances”.
The deposition provided Shaknovksy’s first detailed account of the operation that killed Bryan and eventually garnered national news headlines.
According to Shaknovksy’s deposition, after removing Bryan’s liver, the surgeon instructed a nurse to label the organ as a “spleen” – and he also identified it as a spleen in Bryan’s postoperative notes. Shaknovsky later said he had been “mentally compromised” at the time of Bryan’s death, explaining that he was “devastated, demoralized, crying over his passing, felt that I failed him”.
A lawsuit filed by Bryan’s widow, Beverly Bryan, accuses Shaknovsky of medical malpractice. The suit alleges that he “wrongfully omitted any reference to Mr Bryan’s liver being removed in order to ‘cover up’ his gross negligence/recklessness and to hopefully avoid the embarrassment due to such derelict care”, as NBC reported.
In April, the Walton county sheriff’s office said in a statement that Shaknovsky’s actions inflicted on Bryan “catastrophic blood loss and the patient’s death on the operating table”.
Shaknovsky’s deposition testimony described the chaos in the operating room after Bryan began bleeding extensively, causing his heart to stop. Medical staff performed chest compressions, and Shaknovsky attempted to find where the bleeding was coming from.
“I couldn’t tell the difference because I was so upset,” he said, referring to the organ he mistakenly identified.
“It was like a overflown sink that’s clogged up, and I am looking for a fork at the bottom, trying to feel and find the bleed, and I was not able to do so,” Shaknovsky said. He added: “After 20 minutes of struggling – desperately trying – to save his life, that’s when the wrong-site event took place.
“It’s a devastating thing, which I will have to live with the rest of my life,” Shaknovsky said in the eight-hour deposition reviewed by NBC. “I think about it every single day.”
After the medical team was unable to resuscitate Bryan, Shaknovsky said he went to the hospital’s medical library. “I went there to cry because I was devastated,” he said. “I didn’t want the staff to see me like that.”
Despite a spleen typically being significantly smaller than a liver, Shaknovsky said he believed Bryan’s spleen was “double the size of what is normal” because of a mass on it. Beverly Bryan’s lawsuit, however, states that a medical examiner told her that her husband’s spleen was anatomically “nearly normal”, according to NBC.
Shaknovsky would face up to 15 years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000 if eventually convicted as charged.
Omelet, taco and chicken salad joints are in, while spaghetti gelato, pizza and (for now) wing places are out.
At least when it comes to recent openings and closings on the Southwest Florida foodie scene, that is.
Let’s begin this recap of events in Cape Coral, where a popular breakfast-and-lunch restaurant made its long-awaited debut.
This is where the omelets come in…
House of Omelets
The fourth location of this popular breakfast and lunch restaurant made its highly anticipated debut along Cape Coral Parkway on Monday, May 4.
“It’s amazing,” owner Toni Dedaj said. “I’m very happy. I like this area, the way Cape Coral is growing. And this building is beautiful.”
That building is the eye-catching Bimini Square off Cape Coral Parkway. House of Omelets, which anchors the first-floor northeast corner unit, has a classic European feel. With seating for 89 inside and 40 outside, it’s about half the size of Dedaj’s Pine Island Road location.
“We like it,” he said. “We still have the big menu, but we like the smaller seating area. Service is more personal.”
And speaking of that menu (the same you’ll find at all House of Omelets locations), it is indeed huge, with about 30 signature omelets alone. Add in all the egg dishes (House Slam is a best seller), favorites (like corned beef hash and chicken & waffles), off the griddle dishes (multiple pancake, French toast and waffle options), Benedicts and crepes, and we’re already up to huge without even getting to the lunch items.
Those include appetizers, salads, signature sandwiches (from lobster grilled cheese to Philly steak), burgers & melts, and pitas & wraps. Free parking can be found in the parking garage, shared with neighboring Bimini Basin Seafood.
“It’s easy in and out,” Dedaj said. “Very easy. Come visit us.” Find it at 440 Cape Coral Parkway; (239) 360-8083; there are two locations in Cape Coral and one each in Fort Myers and Naples. Go to houseofomelets.com or follow on Instagram.
Chicken Salad Chick
More than 100 customers were waiting outside when this chicken salad-loving, fast-casual restaurant opened its new Cape Coral location on April 29. Located in the Shops at Del Sol (near Swig!), Chicken Salad Chick has 13 different types of chicken salad, including traditional, fruity & nutty, savory and spicy flavors. Get it in one or two scoops, in a sandwich, in a melt (Bacon cheddar or chicken) or in a BLT. A turkey club is also available. It’s all scratch-made, just like the sides which include broccoli, grape and pasta salads, fresh fruit, mac ‘n cheese and soup. A few desserts (white chocolate layer cake and signature cookies) are also on the menu. Get it all by dining in, driving through, taking out, or by delivery. It’s open 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Go to chickensaladchick.com or follow on Facebook for more.
Point Ybel Brewing
We recently checked out this brewery’s new downtown Fort Myers location off First Street in the Fortiner Building, and we love it. It’s all the good things from the original San Carlos Boulevard location plunked down in a lighter, brighter space (and it’s next to another Chocolattes location!!!). With 17 taps, you’ll find all the same award-winning beers Point Ybel is known for — including Sanibel Light, Snook Bite IPA, Sanibel Red and (our favorite) The Full Breakfast stout. Even though it’s only been open since April 11, it’s already right at home with a full slate of events — from live music and yoga to trivia and music bingo.
“This is a new chapter for us,” owner and brewer Jordan Weisberg said. “We’re excited for it. We want to build the same community downtown that we have (in south Fort Myers).”
It’s off to a great start. Drop by 2451 First St., Fort Myers; (239) 603-6565; pointybelbrew.com and on Facebook
Turco Taco
With three locations in Naples, this fast-casual taco joint has finally come to downtown Fort Myers. It opened April 24 at 2451 First Street. In a former office space, it’s across from Fort Myers Regional Library, on the northwest corner of First and Bay streets. Turco Taco is known for its fresh and bold gourmet Mexican-Turkish fusion tacos, gourmet quesadillas and organic salads. We can’t wait to check it out. (239) 344-7732; theturcotaco.com or on Facebook
Capriotti’s
We’ve already reported that this popular Delaware-founded chain opened a Cape Coral location on April 28 in the Shops at Del Mar off Pine Island Road. But can we just say that The Bobbie — billed as the original Thanksgiving sandwich — lives up to the hype? The slow-roasted turkey (cooked overnight and hand-pulled in the morning), house-made stuffing, cranberry sauce and mayo combination won us over on the first bite. Order it hot or cold, in 4, 8, 10 or 18-inch sizes. And if you’re not feeling Thanksgiving-y, Capriotti’s has plenty of other options, including cheesesteaks, tuna, classic Italian, BLT, meatball, Capastrami, Wagyu beef sandwiches and more. Find it all at 327 SW 10th Place, unit 202, Cape Coral; (239) 471-0469; capriottis.com or follow on Facebook.
Closings
The Fat Apple: The sign is down and the doors of this pizza joint in North Fort Myers are locked. After nine years, this staple in the Publix-anchored Eagle Landing plaza off Bayshore Road has permanently closed. It steadily built a loyal following after Guy Beekman, who owned the legendary Birdie’s Pizza in Fort Myers for 20 years, opened it in July 2017.
Spaghy Gelato: This small Cape Coral shop in Chelsea Place off Del Prado Boulevard has closed. “Cape Coral … thank you,” an April 28 post on its Facebook page read. “Because of your support, your love, your energy … we’re taking the next step. We are officially relocating to the East Coast.” It was known for its viral spaghetti gelato — handcrafted gelato shaped into spaghetti form and topped with a variety of toppings. “Thank you for the memories, the laughs, and for believing in something a little different,” the post concluded.
Wingnuts: After spending the last 15 years at 231 Del Prado Blvd. in Cape Coral, this popular chicken wing restaurant is closing. For now, anyway. “Our time at this location has come to an end,” an April 30 post on the Pub & Grub’s Facebook page read. “Our last day will be May 16th. HOWEVER, we will be moving to a new location soon.” It’s currently in Moderna Plaza, north of Cape Coral Hospital and south of Hancock Bridge Parkway (where the recently closed Misto Bar & Grill was). “Although it will take us time to relocate the restaurant, we will keep you posted, EVERY STEP OF THE WAY,” the post continued. “… We look forward to seeing you in the very near future. Our thanks again for all your support.” Follow along on Facebook for updates.
Robyn George is a food and dining reporter for The News-Press. Connect at rhgeorge@fortmyer.gannett.com
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