The biggest shark in the world: what is it called and looks like, how much does it weigh. The biggest sharks ever caught (10 photos) What is the biggest white shark in the world

Despite the fact that the vast majority of people have never entered the sea deeper than 20-30 meters, the fear of sharks lies in many. This is something from the depths of the subconscious: a huge, swift, silent predator, for which water alien to us is a native element. And most of all, the oblique triangle of the fin that cuts through the water is frightening, because it hides several hundred razor-sharp teeth and an insatiable belly underneath. And it is not at all clear what size it is. And it's interesting. Therefore, today we will try to figure out which is the largest shark in the world.

Let's make a reservation right away: this is already an extinct shark and, thank God, that it is extinct. If such a monster plied the oceans today, then sailors would have to pay extra for the risk, and Green Peace could well have a “protect all animals except megalodon” clause. Firstly, it’s scary to defend him, and secondly, it’s a shame, he himself will protect anyone you want.

This is what a megalodon might look like

Mostly the teeth and skeletons of these monsters have survived to this day. Teeth are the size of a palm. According to paleontologists, the total length of this shark could reach (and even exceed) 16 meters. For comparison, this is the height of a 6-storey building. This colossus weighed about 45-50 tons. This super predator fed on local whales and other marine mammals.

It is believed that the largest shark died out a long time ago. But, either it didn’t die out completely, or someone’s fantasy is too violent, but sailors have already seen them several times. We don't even know whether to be happy or afraid.

The whale shark, of course, is smaller than the megalodon, but not by much - two meters. The recorded record is 14 meters, although some researchers report that they have seen larger individuals, up to 20 meters. According to the same information, the weight of this shark, by the way, the female, was 34 tons.

Big but kind

It would be a terrible monster, if not for one "but" - it feeds, like whales, on krill and small fish. She is not capable of causing any harm to a person, some divers even ride on her back. But people treat it in a peculiar way: on the one hand, they protect and protect it, on the other, despite the prohibitions, they catch it for food.

Like the whale shark, the giant shark lives up to its name. In length, it can reach 10 meters according to official data. According to unofficial reports, there are 15 in all. It looks intimidating: she opens her mouth to its full width and swims through the water column, filtering it. After all, this giant feeds on the same krill.

Indeed, gigantic

Like the whale shark, the giant shark also does not pose a threat to humans. But he is more than enough for her. For a long time, it was a valuable commercial fish, but due to overfishing, this species is now under the threat of extinction.

Everything is relative. If at the very beginning of the article we talked about a shark that grows up to 7-8 meters in length, it would be impressive. But after the previous giants, it's not so much interesting. Moreover, she also feeds on harmless plankton. She looks impressive, but only looks.

The scariest thing about her is her looks.

It turns out that the three largest sharks are actually underwater elephants. And even then, people suffer from elephants more often than from these underwater giants. So why are people so afraid of them. This is the merit of the subsequent participants in our rating.

Great white shark

It is the white shark that is the cause of all fears and myths about deadly underwater predators. True, for this she should also thank Steven Spielberg - the director of the film "Jaws". The artistic picture made such an indelible impression on the audience that it formed the image of a terrible monster, a mass killer, a man-eating shark. In fact, people, of course, sometimes get into their stomachs, but more often there are sea birds and fish.

But she is very smiling.

The size of white sharks may seem relatively small - 5-6 meters. But if you think so, you have never been in the water when a fin triangle approaches you. In this case, size really doesn't matter.

The tiger shark is significantly smaller than the white shark, the average length of this monster is about 5 meters. In theory, it may be larger, but there is no confirmation of this. But, despite the fact that it is smaller, it is one of the most dangerous sharks in the world. She is more aggressive, more gluttonous, attacking everything she sees, almost indiscriminately. Therefore, people are much more often its victims. And measure, at that moment they were least interested in how big a shark it was, it was enough that it was very vicious and predatory.

Also in stripes

The family of sharks is quite large and diverse. It includes dangerous predators who are not averse to biting your foot, unhurried giants who will not swallow anything larger than anchovy, small and nimble sharks, unworthy of getting into our article. But they are all interesting and beautiful in their own way. Let's hope that common sense will prevail, and they will not all be transferred to soup.

You stand on the shore of the ocean, look at the endless expanses, and the thought involuntarily creeps in, and what inhabitants are hidden by the water column?

The fauna of the seas and oceans in humans is primarily associated with whales and sharks, so you can often hear the question, what are the largest animals in the world?

Let's try to deal with giant water monsters and highlight the tallest inhabitants of the oceans and seas.

Everyone knows from childhood that the largest animal on the planet is a whale. If you believe distant ancestors, then three such animals held the Earth on their backs. Well, if we turn to science, it turns out that the largest (of those who were measured) specimen of a blue (blue) whale grew to 33.58 meters, and it was a female. The heaviest blue whale (of those caught) weighed over 190 tons. And then, the specialists had to weigh the record holder in parts, so the error came out huge. Either way, the result is impressive. Because 190 tons is the mass of two dozen elephants.

By the way, the blue whale is considered, moreover, the most "vociferous" animal in the world. It can make sounds that can be heard for 800 kilometers and beyond.

However, it is not easy for a whale to win the palm in the race for the title of the largest animal on the planet. In the dispute, which, by the way, continues even now, some other inhabitants of the planet are taking it. And all of them, oddly enough, marine life. There are even semi-mythical ones on the list, the existence of which is only guessed at. For example, Megalodon. The fact of his extinction, many lovers of sensations are trying to question to this day. There are even witnesses who have observed giant sharks, and they say that it was not a whale or even a whale shark. But it is worth noting the real representatives of the fauna, who are fighting for the title of the largest animal on Earth. More precisely, if you say the longest. This is a giant jellyfish lion's mane or cyanide. The broadband giant of the water world can grow up to 37 meters (including tentacles). The diameter of the umbrella of this living creature is approximately 250 centimeters. And if we objectively evaluate these facts, then the jellyfish is longer and larger than the whale.

Not far behind the jellyfish and another representative of the fauna of the sea. This is a giant sea worm bootlace. In the 19th century, a worm about 55 meters long was discovered on the coast of Scotland near St. Andrews after a storm. Its width was only 10 centimeters. However, scientists did not recognize the giant in the giant. This is because worms can stretch and contract. Whale shark However, sharks are also fighting for the title of the largest. And which one can call itself the largest and largest fish in the oceans?

Now scientists assign leadership in body size to the whale shark. Experts believe that it is the largest fish known to science. However, disputes on the topic of the maximum size of the fish are still going on among scientists.

The record, which is documented, is 14 meters. But not infrequently there is information about the capture of a larger representative of the species. Some sharks grow up to 20 meters or more. For example, in 2002, near Chinese Taiwan, fishermen caught a female weighing 34 tons and 20 meters long.

Scientists note that the difficulty in setting the size limit for a whale shark is not only that large specimens are quite rare in nature. In fact, this fish is listed in the International Red List of the IUCN and fishing is prohibited for it. Catching an animal is punishable by law.

But this fact rarely stops poachers, since only the fins of this individual in the markets of Asia cost tens of thousands of dollars. And if the fishermen manage to catch a whale shark, then, of course, the catch is hidden from prying eyes and ears, especially scientists. The fish is usually butchered on the spot, the fins, the most valuable pieces of the body, are cut off, and the rest is returned to the sea.

Despite the disputes of scientists, no one denies that the whale shark is the largest of the modern fish that are known to science. By the way, almost nothing is known about their method of reproduction. Until recently, sharks were thought to lay eggs. This conclusion was made after a huge egg 36 centimeters long was found at the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico in 1953. And he was mistaken for the future baby whale shark. But at the end of the last century, a pregnant female was caught, inside of which there were embryos that had already hatched. Therefore, it became clear that sharks reproduce by ovoviviparity. Small sharks are already appearing with a length of 60 centimeters.

Whale shark in the water

By the way, the biggest shark that a man has caught is just a whale shark. She was harpooned off the coast of Pakistan (near Baba Island) in 1949. The weight of the giant was 20 tons, while the length was almost 13 meters. The girth of the body is also impressive - 7 meters. The fishermen immediately killed the fish, butchered it in parts and sold it.

Another inhabitant of the waters is not far from the record holder - this is a giant shark. It is known that the size of such fish reaches 11 meters. And information about the capture of a larger individual (up to 15 meters) is available, but it is not documented. It is worth noting that the giant shark and whale shark are almost not dangerous for humans. They only feed on zooplankton. And they are not at all interested in a person as prey.

And they are dangerous because with one movement of the tail fin they can break a person's spine or cause other serious injury. Therefore, in the immediate vicinity of monster fish, you need to be careful.

largemouth shark

Bigmouth sharks, a rather rare variety of underwater predators, also grow quite large. The largest recorded size of a largemouth shark is 7 meters. But who knows, suddenly larger individuals swim in the depths of the ocean

bigmouth shark

White shark

In 1978, in the Azores, near the harbor of San Miguel, a 7-meter white shark was caught with the help of dozens of harpoons. To date, this is a record. The White Death, as it is also called, resisted the fishermen and killed two people. She broke the spine of one, and bit the other in half.

By the way, there are cases when the white shark was caught on a bait. So, in 1959, the Australian Elf Dian on a small motor boat in the ocean caught a cannibal on a steel line. The weight of the predator was 1207 kilograms, and the length was a little more than five meters.
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What fisherman does not dream of catching a big fish. Some hunt for a large “beast” in order to claim records, while others simply want to show off their catch among familiar fishermen. But whatever the goal, not everyone manages to get such a trophy in the collection.

The larger the fish, the more difficult it is to catch, and standard gear is no longer enough here. An “oak” rod and a line capable of withstanding maximum loads give at least some chance that the fish will not swim past, waving their tail after them. One of the most desired trophies for many fishermen is the catfish, the largest freshwater fish. Those who live close to the ocean choose more serious prey for themselves and hunt or accidentally catch its main predators - sharks. We managed to find 10 of the largest sharks that have only come across "hooked".

Shark weight: unknown

In 1945, during a planned fishing trip in the Gulf of Mexico, 6 fishermen accidentally caught the most dangerous species of sharks for humans - the white shark. The length of the carcharodon was 6.4 meters. In honor of the village where they were from, the fishermen named the trophy "monster from Kojimar".

Shark weight: 807 kg.

Walter Maxwell wrote his name in history as a fisherman who was lucky enough to catch one of the biggest tiger sharks. Off Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, in 1964, his prey was an 807-pound tiger shark. Nobody could beat his record for 40 years.

Shark weight: 810 kg.

At the moment, the absolute current record for the largest tiger shark ever caught by weight belongs to Kevin James Clapson. Off the coast of Ulladulla, Australia, in March 2004, a fisherman caught a tiger shark weighing 810 kg.

Shark weight: unknown

In 1983, a great white shark was caught in the net of fisherman David Mackendrick near Prince Edward Island. A female 6.1 meters long landed on the net. The shark was included in the top of the largest sharks, which were measured by the specialists of the Shark Research Center of Canada.

Shark weight: 907 kg.

In 2012, after another fishing trip, a Mexican fisherman returned as a local hero. His main catch, for which he went to the Sea of ​​Cortez, was a 907-pound great white shark. The length of the shark was 6 meters.

Shark weight: 1208 kg.

One of the largest sharks caught by the International Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies was a shark caught by Alf Dean. On the coast of the Australian Sidun in 1959, a fisherman caught a 5-meter shark weighing 1208 kg.

Shark weight: 1520 kg.

Shark hunter fame in 1992 went to Dion Gilmour. Off the coast of South Australia, he pulled a shark weighing 1520 kg from the ocean. and 5.2 meters long.

Shark weight: 1750 kg.

Through the efforts of 10 fishermen in 2012, a great white shark weighing 1750 kg was caught in Taiwan. and 6 meters long. The inhabitant of the underwater depths turned out to be so heavy that the fishermen dragged him on board the ship for an hour.

Shark weight: 2041 kg.

To catch a great white shark in 1964, among other things, Frank Mandus needed five harpoons. After 5 hours of confrontation, the shark still gave up. The weight of the prey was 2041 kg.

Shark weight: 2306 kg.

In 1970, the largest shark in history was caught off Phillip Island. The weight of the shark, 6.2 meters long, was 2306 kg. Although this is considered an absolute record, many question it, because before the shark was caught, it managed to eat heavily with a seal, the remains of which were found in its stomach.

These predators are considered a thunderstorm of the seas and oceans. Sharks devour anyone in their path. Only a person or a killer whale can encroach on their life. Moreover, the latter calculates strength and rushes at small individuals. People break records, trying to catch a bigger fish. The achievements of the fishermen show us which shark is the largest in the world.

Extinct record holder

The article will touch upon incredible stories about fish of impressive size. But this monster, supposedly the progenitor of the white shark, has no rivals. His name is Megalodon. The length of the body of the inhabitant of the warm seas reached 16 meters, and the mass - 45 tons. The bite force was 11 tons. Admire the photo of the megalodon shark and its fossil tooth!

Such dimensions automatically deprived the giant of competition in hunting. The diet consisted of live and dead marine mammals, and large fish. Fossil analysis shows that the predator was superior to modern sharks in terms of strength and sophistication of hunting strategies.

The extinction happened 3 million years ago. Two reasons are named: climate change or the aggravation of competitive relations in famine years. Remains are found from the time of the Renaissance throughout the globe. In 2013, the predator unexpectedly ... came to life.

So the creators of the program on Discovery Chanel claimed. The facts were presented convincingly. But the video about the biggest sharks in the world was fabricated. Television workers have been criticized by scientists. However, this did not prevent the launch of a series of programs.

XXI Century

526 species of sharks live in the ocean space. Each of them has representatives of large sizes. Unfortunately, measurements of fish are carried out only after the catch. Therefore, it is difficult to talk about the real dimensions of the inhabitants of the oceans. Let's compare officially caught representatives to find out which shark is the largest in the world.

mako shark

Body length 4.5 meters. Individuals of this species jump out of the water to a height of up to 6 m and develop a speed of 70 km / h. The shark is considered dangerous to humans, but documented cases of attacks were provoked by the person himself.

sixgill shark

The body length reaches 5.4 m. Living organisms and carrion are eaten, cannibalism is also characteristic. Cases of attacks on seals were recorded. The predators themselves are victims of white sharks, killer whales, sea lions and people. Commercial production is carried out because of the value of liver fat and meat. But more often they are caught for trophies.

A fish is indifferent to a person until it is touched. Touching causes irritation, the animal rushes to the bottom.

The length of the largest shark in the world of this species is 5m. The predator poses a particular danger to humans. Human remains have been repeatedly found in the stomach. They eat any living creature that is smaller in size. Do not disdain wounded tribesmen and carrion.

The species was discovered in 1976. Science knows about 60 individuals. In 2004, a dead female 5.63m long washed up on the shore of Ichihara. In 2006, a 5.7m specimen got entangled in nets set up near Japan. The individual was released into the wild, but was soon found dead.

Females are larger than the stronger sex. The largest male, measuring 4.9 m, was caught in the waters near California. Thanks to this individual, some details from the life of the species have been revealed. Scientists observed the world's largest pelagic shark for several days.

These giants are known to feed on plankton. For prey, they descend to a depth of 160m. In general, the species has been little studied.

A long thin tail increases the size of the fish up to 6 meters. It is used as a mining tool. The victim is stunned and quietly absorbed by the predator. The species is famous for its fearfulness and safety for humans.

Giant hammerhead shark

The officially registered body length is 6.1 meters. The name is due to the unusual appearance: the muzzle of the fish is comparable to a hammer. This "hammer" plays the role of a tool in the life of one of the largest sharks. With it, he gets his favorite delicacy - stingrays. Like fox sharks, they immobilize fish, then eat them. Crustaceans and cephalopods are also included in the diet.

Carcharodon

The great white shark is the name of the most dangerous predator on the planet. 30-50 attacks per person are recorded annually. Sharks often bite their victims but do not eat them. When bitten, the victim in 90% of cases dies from blood loss.

A curious fact: snakes and even bees with wasps kill more people in a year than sharks in a century.

The variation in body length in the species is enormous. Off the coast of Australia in 1945, the great white shark Carcharodon was caught, weighing 804 kg and 6.4 meters long. Shocked? These are the little things! 3 individuals of this species entered the history:

• 1959 - fisherman Elf Dean pulled a fish weighing 1208.38 kg and 5.17 m tall from the Australian bay. The result is recorded in the Guinness Book of Records;
• 1976 - the weight of the prey caught by Klivin Green near Australia was 1.5 tons, the length was 5.24 meters. The registration of the achievement was denied, due to the fisherman's use of whale meat as a profit;
• 1978 - the region of the Isthmus of Panama in the Pacific Ocean - a trophy was caught with a weight of 2.238 tons and a body length of 6.2 meters.

Interestingly, in the first two cases, a fishing rod was used. Elf Dean used a steel line with a total weight of 59 kg. The result of Pacific fishing was included in the Guinness Book of Records as the capture of the largest white shark. But he did not bring fishing glory, due to the use of a harpoon when fishing.

These fish break several records at once. They belong to the quiet ones. The speed of movement does not exceed 2.7 km / h. A slow metabolism leads to a long lifespan. Radiocarbon analysis of the eyes of 28 individuals was carried out. Studies have shown that these marine inhabitants live for about 500 years!

The maximum known body length is 6.4 meters, and the weight is about a ton. These dimensions make the shark a champion in its habitat - the northern latitudes. Fish live exclusively in cold waters and encounters with humans are practically excluded. Some of the largest sharks in the world feed on seals. Cases of attacks on sleeping marine mammals have been recorded.

The growth of giants reaches 9.8 meters, and the weight is 4 tons. The largest is considered to be an individual caught in 1851. The mass was 9 tons, and the body length was 12.7 m. The diet consists of plankton, so it does not pose a danger to humans. The species is vulnerable, the number of individuals is constantly declining.

Interestingly, a third of the weight is the liver. 150 years ago, the fishery was widely developed, the purpose of which was the liver oil of sharks. It is still used in medicine today.

The world's largest shark - megalodon, whale shark is much inferior in parameters. But this does not prevent her from occupying a leading position in size among all living fish. off the coast of Pakistan in 2000. an individual 12.65 m long and 7 m wide was caught. This is an absolute record!

The Internet is full of reports of "some data", according to which the growth of the monster reaches 20 meters. However, there are no references to reliable sources. Such information comes from deep-sea diving enthusiasts and they have to take their word for it.

Photo of the world's largest shark

Giants eat plankton, squid and small fish. Relationships with people are good. A few years ago, an unusual video appeared on the network. The divers met the fish and expected it to calmly swim past. But the giant opened his mouth and carefully pulled the diver's hand. So the sea animal asked for help: a fishing rope was wrapped around its body. At least, that's what the participants in the liberation operation say.

Selfies look especially impressive, holding on to the fin of the world's largest shark.

As already noted, the dimensions of marine life can be objectively judged only on the basis of caught specimens. There is an opinion that the sizes of individuals of each species in the thickness of the ocean exceed the recorded ones by 3-8 meters. Do you think there are large fish hiding in the waters? Share in the comments.

Sharks are little studied, as is ocean life in general. It scares people. The appearance of even the smallest individuals inspires fear. Today we have seen that not all predators are dangerous to humans. The degree of threat is greatly exaggerated by cinema and literature. It is interesting that animals of solid size are more disposed towards humans than their small counterparts.

Since ancient times, sharks have impressed people with their impressive appearance, power and the makings of a true underwater predator. There have always been many legends and myths around them, which eventually migrated to books and films, becoming the basis of many famous novels and horror films. But still, what is the biggest shark in the world? We have compiled a list of the top 10 sharks that surprise with their size and abilities.

10 Fox Shark

The rating opens by far not the biggest predator, but very important for humanity. She lives in the Pacific Ocean and has never attacked people, who, in turn, often hunt her. And the reason for this is that its liver serves as the basis for many important medicines.

9 Sixgill Shark

It can reach 5.5 meters in length. Often lives near the coast, however, representatives of this species can descend to a depth of up to 2.5 kilometers. At first glance, sixgill sharks are far from agile, but when they see prey, they develop impressive speed, which impresses many.

8. Gray sand shark

On average, a mammal weighs about 550 kilograms and differs from its relatives in a beautiful anatomy of the body, which inspires fear. But it is worth considering that it is not at all aggressive and does not show interest in people, because its diet consists exclusively of fish and small species of sharks.

7 Hammerhead Shark

Megalodon - the biggest shark in the world, many scientists believe so, but the megalodon died out more than 2 million years ago, but the hammerhead representative of these predators, despite its ancient roots, still exists. Its weight can reach almost 840 kilograms, but, unfortunately, their population is declining more and more every year.

6 Pelagic Bigmouth Shark

Quite a rare species, found in 1976. Until now, their habits and way of life have not yet been fully studied, because in nature, according to the latest estimates, no more than one hundred of them live. In their length they reach 6 meters and have a specific appearance.

5 Tiger Shark

A fairly common underwater predator, which not only eats any fish, but is also a threat to humans. More than several hundred cases have been recorded when a mammal showed aggression and attacked people, swimming close to the shore. The largest individual of this species weighed almost one ton.

4 Polar Shark

In the northern waters, poor seals are afraid not only of killer whales, but also of these large representatives of the shark genus. The polar huntress has an average length of 6.5 m and weighs about 1200 kilograms. At the same time, due to the cold temperature of the water, it moves slowly and does not disdain carrion.

3 Great White Shark

It is the largest underwater predator and often turns out to be the main character of horror films about these creatures. However, in real life, he rarely shows interest in people. It weighs almost 3300 kilograms, and, despite such a massive body, it is also the fastest among all its other relatives.

2 Giant Shark

The owner of an incredible size, weight - 14 tons, an average length of 10 meters, is actually very peaceful. It feeds on plankton and small fish, calmly allowing divers with cameras to approach them.

1 Whale Shark

A true giant who does not show interest in big fish, and even more so a person. The diet of the whale shark also consists mainly of plankton, which helps to gain up to 21 tons of weight with a body length of 12 meters.