Is a 60-foot prehistoric shark named Megalodon still out there? Sightings of massive sharks around the world suggest to some that it's possible.
Megalodon Shark Sightings
Reported Megalodon shark sightings have some people wondering if the most formidable predator the ocean has ever seen might still be alive today, even though science and common sense tell us it's impossible.
At maximum lengths of up to 60 feet, Megalodon was the largest shark that ever lived and the apex predator of its day. This terrifying monster lived at a time when the ocean was a very different place, and it went extinct long ago.
Why, then, are there reports of massive sharks thirty feet long or more from around the world? Is it possible mainstream science has it wrong, and the Megalodon shark is still out there somewhere?
In this article we'll take a look at some compelling evidence and stories that suggest Megalodon is still with us. In the end, it's up to you to decide: Is the Megalodon Shark still alive?
Could Megalodon Still Live?
There are some truly huge sharks in the world today, but the idea of a living Megalodon is something else entirely. It's a chilling thought, and fun to ponder, but is it really possible? When you consider that some researchers claim we know more about the surface of the moon that we do of the deep ocean, perhaps it's not such a strange idea after all. The deep ocean has proven especially difficult to study, and almost anything could lurk in the depths.
In fact, there is precedence for bizarre marine creatures turning up when the odds are stacked against them. Some of them, like the Megalodon shark, were once thought extinct, or be believed to only be myths.
The Giant Squid
The Giant Squid is a huge creature reaching up to 30 feet in length which dwells in the deepest part of the ocean. Though science eventually knew of its existence from bodies washed ashore and scars left on the bodies of whales, no live adult specimen was ever caught on film until 2004. Now we know much more about these creatures, and that there is an even larger monster squid out there.
The Colossal Squid is an enormous real-life sea monster, with the largest specimens weighing over half a ton. Yet even though it was discovered in 1925 we still know little about this beast.
Colossal and Giant squid sightings by ancient sailors are probably what led to legends of the Kraken sea monster.
The Megamouth Shark
The Megamouth Shark is another large creature that can grow up to 16 feet in length, but it was not discovered until 1976. This beast eluded researchers for so long because it lives in deep water, and comes closer to the surface only at night. This, some researchers speculate, could be the same behavior that makes Megalodon so tough to spot in modern times.
The Coelacanth
The Coelacanth is an even stranger case. This bizarre fish was thought to have gone extinct 65 million years ago, until they were discovered in 1938, live and well, off the coast of South Africa. The Coelacanth is a prehistoric fish, referred to as the Living Fossil. While not giants like Megalodon, the Megamouth or the Giant Squid, they do reach over six feet in length.
Recent Megalodon Sightings
Unfortunately, when it comes to more recent Megalodon sightings there isn't a whole lot to hang our hats on. Megalodon has firmly planted itself in the realm of cryptozoology, and few marine biologists and shark researchers take the creature seriously in the modern day. Occasionally a stray report will wash up of a larger-than-normal shark spotted somewhere, but given that Great Whites can theoretically grow in excess of 20 feet it's certainly possible that these are misidentified animals. Most marine biologists would be thrilled enough to discover a 20-foot Great White!
But there are at least a few interesting tidbits for consideration.
The Megalodon Monsterquest Episode
Back in 2009 the History Channel show Monsterquest visited the Sea of Cortez where massive sharks have been reported for years. These beasts are allegedly three times larger than the biggest great white sharks in the area, and know for decimating the local marine mammal populations. The Monsterquest team failed to find Megalodon, but many still believe, if this giant shark is still around, this is a prime location for finding it.
The Monster of Bird Island
In 2012, on an episode of the show Shark Wranglers called Monster of Bird Island, shark researchers interviewed a group of South African fisherman who claimed there was a huge shark in the area as big as their boat. The boat appeared to be thirty or forty feet long. Was this a Megalodon shark these fisherman had witnessed? Later in the episode one of the researchers told a tale of a 30-foot shark he had seen when he was younger.
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