Is the megalodon shark back?
Massive type of sharks lived between 3.6 million and 23 million years ago
Has the largest shark of all time come back?
Local shark scientists on a recent research trip off the New England coast spotted a massive, 50-footlong shark-like shape on its fish finder. Did the iconic megalodon massive shark species actually return?!
“On a recent shark research trip we were all amused to see this shape appear on our fish finder for several minutes,” the Rhode Island-based Atlantic Shark Institute posted on social media. “Based on the length of the image we estimated the ‘Meg’ to be about 50 feet long, weighing in at 40 tons!”
But sadly for shark lovers, the megalodon is not back. The ‘Meg’ slowly changed shape as a school of mackerel moved around, according to the researchers.
“We waited for one of the rods to go off, however, much to our disappointment, the shape started to transition into a large school of Atlantic mackerel that hung around the boat for about 15 minutes,” the Atlantic Shark Institute wrote.
“So close, but so far!” the researchers added. “The Megalodon (Otodus megalodon), disappeared more than 3 million years ago and will likely stay that way, but, for a few minutes, we thought he had returned!”
Megalodon sharks lived between 3.6 million and 23 million years ago around the globe, and possibly grew to as large as 65 feet long. For comparison, the largest great white sharks today reach a total length of 20 feet. The adult great white sharks that visit Cape Cod are usually in the 11-foot to 16-foot range.
Otodus megalodon is commonly portrayed as a gigantic, monstrous shark in novels and films, such as the 2018 sci-fi thriller “The Meg.”
Megalodons have been the focus of plenty of research in recent years.
Earlier this year, shark researchers found that great whites might have contributed to the elimination of the massive shark species.
The scientists learned that megatooth sharks ate the same foods as the much smaller great white sharks. The two shark species were likely competing for the same meals, according to the researchers.
In other megalodon research earlier this year, scientists found that the huge shark grew to larger sizes in cooler waters than in warmer areas.