Was the Megalodon the biggest shark that ever swam in our ocean? Or is there a shark in modern times that can get bigger? Read all about it in this comprehensive blog.
The Megalodon, the shark from prehistoric times. Megalodon was the largest shark ever to swim in our oceans. He was unrivalled and had no enemies, only competitors. The Megalodon ate everything that appeared in front of it, but preferred the largest prey in the ocean. Although the Megalodon was the largest shark of its time and became extinct 1.5 million years ago, the ocean now has a new leader. The Whale Shark, this shark can reach lengths of 8m to some individuals found of 18m. This leaves the Whale Shark in second place and the Megalodon in first.
What is the Megalodon again?
As described above, the Megalodon was the largest shark ever to swim the oceans. The Megalodon weighed between 30,000 and 60,000 kilos and had a diet consisting mainly of whale species, Dugongs, large fish species and sea turtles. The Megalodon was the emperor of the oceans.
The Megalodon from birth
It is said that the Megalodon had a length of about 2 metres at birth. This means that the Megalodon is already bigger than the average human being from birth. Strange to hear, isn't it? It also means that the Megalodon was the shark species with the largest babies. It is also striking that when you look at the size of the young, the Megalodon probably gave birth to live young, like the mackerel sharks do today.
The giant of the present time
Although the Megalodon is not displaced by the Whale Shark, the Whale Shark is the largest shark of our time. As described above, the Whale Shark can reach 18 metres. The big difference between the Whale Shark and the Megalodon is that the Whale Shark's diet consists mainly of plankton, krill, small fish and squid. The whale shark is relatively harmless to humans, which means that the only damage a whale shark would cause would be a blow with its tail. The reason here is not because the shark wants to injure humans but simply because humans swim in the way of its tail. Unlike the Megalodon, which would have had no problem seeing humans as prey.
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