Monster Sharks: The Terrors of the Deep Sea

Julianne Barrett

For centuries, reports from sailors describing “great beasts” echoed around the world, causing both tremendous fear and sheer curiosity. Most believed that venturing to the edge of the world would bring a sure encounter with a nameless monster. Perhaps they were right. Reports of large-mouthed creatures ready to engulf an entire fleet echoed within the imaginations of both ancient seamen and modern scientists. These captivating stories have put them forever in search for these “Monster Sharks”. Now, new technology has enabled us to discover fascinating creatures; creatures that thousands of years ago, we would not be able to even imagine. But one thing remains the same. As captivating as these creatures are, they are both frightening and dangerous. If there is one thing that is true about the sailors’ stories it’s this: these monsters can eat you alive. There have been countless occurrences of shark attacks on thousands of victims, some of whom aren't alive to tell the tale.

Sailor’s Tales: Myths

But where did these myths come from? How did they come to be?  Several theories attempt to explain these strange phenomena. One suggests “sailors may have seen shark and whale carcasses or large masses of inanimate matter – seaweed, logs, ship debris, for instance – and mistook them for large, living creatures”.1 It is very likely that ancient seamen thought they saw monsters especially if they were at sea for very long. It would not be surprising if these seamen had hallucinations not only from lack of sleep and water, but from being away from home for an extended period of time.

The most likely theory, however, is that of pure truth. The ocean, making up 2/3 of the earth, contains between 10 and 100 million marine species.1 However, the vastness of the ocean makes it impossible for every species of marine life to be documented. It is a sure thing that many hundreds of species are yet to be discovered. Perhaps these sailors actually saw creatures no one has or will ever see again.

No one is certain if these myths are truly real. Our only evidence is documented in drawings and reports of sea monsters all over the world. But perhaps these sailors were right. So what did they really see?

The Facts

Megalodon
This massive prehistoric shark lived about 16 million years ago. About twice the size of today’s Great White, this shark had no known predators and ate almost anything. Its jaws were massive and its teeth measure up to 16 centimeters long. Some of Megalodon’s teeth are found in Paleocene sediments from around the world and some can be dredged up from the ocean floor.2 There are many theories on how and when this giant monster became extinct, but no one will ever know for sure.

Whale Shark
Large man-eating monster or gentle giant? The Whale Shark is one of the biggest species of sharks today. Growing up to 20 meters long, they are found in warm, tropical waters and are known to migrate to the continental shelf on the central west coast of Australia.3 These filter-feeder sharks love to eat tiny plants and animals and are so friendly that they allow swimmers to “hitch a ride”. However, their gentle nature makes them vulnerable to hunters, especially those in Asian areas, including Taiwan and the Phillipines.3 [Video]

Basking Shark
Large-mouthed sea monsters that could probably “swallow ships whole” could easily be mistaken for the gentle basking shark. As the world’s second largest fish, a 10 meter long body can be intimidating. But this other gentle giant poses no threat. It filter feeds plankton and small fish and can only swim at speeds up to 3 miles per hour.4 They can be found in Irish/Scottish waters or around the British Isles. [Video]

Great White Shark
If ever were a fish to be feared like the Great White, then he will be the king of the sea. This terrifying shark is the founder of most fears, as it is the most intimidating. Growing up to 8 meters and weighing about 2 tons, this shark can be found in a variety of places. They are found in California to Alaska, the east coast of the USA, most of the Gulf coast, Hawaii, most of South America, South Africa, Australia (except the north coast), New Zealand, Mediterranean Sea, West Africa to Scandinavia, Japan, and the eastern coastline of China to Russia.5 [Video]

Interesting Articles

New technology has made it possible to discover creatures that were previously thought impossible to exist. However, we are still finding more and more species as our technology develops. Who knows what other hundreds of species are waiting to be discovered?

Project Resources

  1. http://www.googobits.com/articles/p0-1016-do-monsters-really-exist.html
  2. http://www.elasmo-research.org/education/evolution/size_megalodon.htm
  3. http://www.sharkattacks.com/prehistoric.htm
  4. http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/fish/whale-shark.html
  5. http://new-brunswick.net/new-brunswick/sharks/species/basking.html
  6. http://baskingsharks.wildlifetrusts.org
  7. http://www.indianchild.com/great_white_shark.htm
  8. http://scuba.about.com/cs/sharks/a/20sharkfacts.htm
  9. http://www.geocities.com/SouthBeach/wharf/4477/uss.html

Random Facts

  • ”For years, fossilized shark teeth were believed to be tongues of serpents turned to stone by St. Paul, and hence were named glossopetrae, or ‘tongue stones.’” 10
  • “Shark's teeth are normally replaced every eight days. Some species of sharks can shed as many as 30,000 teeth in their lifetime.” 10
  • “Dried shark skin (shagreen) was used in the past as sandpaper. In Germany and Japan, shark skin was used on sword handles for a non-slip grip.” 10
  • “Great white sharks can go as long as 3 months without eating.” 10
  • Biggest shark ever caught: Cuba 1945, 21 feet and 7,100 lbs. However, the shark was never actually measured, so the claim could be inaccurate.