There’s something in the water. Here are 3 top picks of INSANELY Huge Sharks.
These are some of the largest breeds of shark that swim the oceans around the world today, based on a combination of the maximum recorded length and weight, as well as the average length and weight.
Tiger Shark
The only surviving species of the Galeocerdo genus, the Tiger shark typically only grows to about 11 to 14 feet in length, but it often tops out at as much as 1,400 pounds. That being said, there have been reports of a tiger shark measuring a staggering 24 feet in length – though this claim remains disputed in the scientific community. The thing that makes the tiger shark so intimidating is its bulky, muscular build. It is a terrifying macropredator – stealthy, powerful and lightning quick. It’s also second on the list of sharks with the most human bites to its name.
Basking Shark
The second largest shark currently living, the Basking Shark is, unlike our last few entries, totally disinterested in taking a bite out of humans. A gentle giant, it spends its life migrating with the seasons and following plankton, its primary source of food. Though that huge, almost snakelike mouth might be intimidating, it’s used as more of a net as part of the Basking Shark’s ram feeding. It can filter roughly 450 tons of water in an hour to get the plankton it needs. The largest Basking Shark ever measured was 40 feet long and weighed over 35,000 pounds. On average though, they come in at closer to 20 to 26 feet and 11,400 pounds.
Whale Shark
Here it is folks, the largest living shark known to man. Just its mouth alone gets to be about 5 feet wide around maturity. Thankfully, like the basking shark, it also uses it to filter plankton and is thoroughly disinterested in tasting human flesh. On average, it grows to a length of 32 feet and a weight of 20,000 pounds, but the largest recorded specimen was 41.5ft long and weighed in at 47,000 pounds. Though they’re unverified, there are historical claims of whale shark sightings up to 59 feet in length. Whatever their actual maximum size might be, they’ve more than earned their place as the world’s largest shark.
What’s your (least?) favorite big-ass shark?