Apr-2015
Your biggest nightmare at sea: Megalodon
With the resemblance of a super-sized Great White, the Megalodon Shark (Carcharodon Megalodon) might be your biggest nightmare at sea. At least, if it’s still out there…
Sharkzilla
A creature that puts modern predators to shame with its colossal size should be more talked about then we probably are doing these days. Megalodon literally translated means big tooth. Did you ever even hear about Megalodon? My guess is that you didn’t, but if so, then I’m proud. Yesterday I wrote an April Fools article about the tooth I found, which is actually a Megalodon tooth. Today I thought I’d spell out some more about this massive being.
It is the largest carnivorous fish that ever existed on Mother Earth, but the exact length still keeps the paleontologists discussing. Save to say is that Megalodon is 12 to 21 meters long! Keep in mind that the average Great White can be 4 to over 6 meters long. So hold on a minute and do the math. This means the Megalodon can be about 4 times as big as a Great White!
Researchers discovered that the Megalodon used to be the king of the ocean until about 10 million years ago. With a jaw where the head of a T. Rex would easily fit in, it was a very impressive and most of all intimidating creature.
Is the Megalodon shark alive today?
Megalodon went extinct 2 million years ago, yet we might should consider the possibility of these powerful ocean predators to still be out there. Scientists believe that Megalodon fed upon whales and in the recent past several whales were found missing a tail or head. Which other creature could manage to do so besides Megalodon?
At Shark Tooth Hill, in California U.S.A., a fossilized whale was found, missing its head. However, the current temperature of the water would possibly be too low for the Megalodon and this might also be the reason of its extinction. The ocean got colder and colder over the last million years and it may be the reason for not having Sharkzilla around these days.
What also might be an option is that the prey started migrating to colder waters, leaving Megalodon without food to survive.
Some photos show large fins and tails rising above the water and skeptics say Megalodon could possibly have survived deep down in the ocean. However, absence of evidence is not evidence of absence and if Megalodon still exists, than for sure it’s not just one.
Does it or does it not still exist?
I’m pretty sure that if a 21 meters long shark would attack me in the ocean that there wouldn’t really be anything I could do. After seeing the movie Jaws I couldn’t enter the waters anymore without getting that tune in my head and the movie was made to spread fear to all of us when we’d go the beach. But seriously, picture it. A twenty-one meters long shark!
Do you believe it’s still out there?
A big 1,8 meter fin!
19,5 meters from fin to tail
About Renate Rigters
Ever since I left my home country I felt at home at any other place I went to. I enjoy getting to know more cultures by talking to strangers and hearing their philosophy about life. Speaking with gestures when you can not find a shared language, finding places only the locals go to and learn about their customs and values. Hanging out with local people makes me happy. The experience of every new place is a step out of your comfort zone where I like to wander around until it feels like a second home.
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