Megalodon

Imagine swimming in the ocean when suddenly a shadow bigger than a school bus is beneath you. This beast is not a whale, it's the king of the seas known as the megalodon. This massive animal is the biggest shark that ever lived. Fossils of their enormous teeth have been found on every continent except Antarctica. Some of the teeth that have been found are bigger than an adult human hand. What made this shark the king?

Megalodon lived long before humans. Scientists believe the oceans were warmer than they are now, and filled with plentiful food like enormous schools of fish, whales, giant sea turtles and seals. It was the perfect seafood buffet and helped it grow bigger and evolve. He had to get bigger to take down the massive whales that were his favorite food. At 60 feet long Megalodon was the ultimate predator. It hunted by sneaking up on prey from below, then attacking with incredible power. Using its powerful jaws, it could crush bones and tear through thick blubber in just one bite. The megalodon's teeth could reach over 7 inches long, and it had around 250 teeth in its mouth at one time. Scientists estimate that its bite force was more than ten times stronger than a great white shark’s. It may hold the record for the greatest bite force in all of history.

Before the Ice Ages began, Earth’s climate was warmer and more stable. Big creatures like the megalodon do better in stable environments because they need a lot of resources. Since the megalodon couldn’t adapt quickly to sudden change, it disappeared. Scientists think that as the Earth’s climate cooled the warm ocean hunting grounds began to shrink. New predators, like the ancestors of today’s great white sharks appeared, and competed for food. Whales migrated to colder waters, leaving megalodon hungry and out of luck.

Maybe megalodon’s story didn’t end there? Over the years, sailors and scuba divers have reported mysterious giant shadows and massive bite marks on whales. Some people claim that if you look at satellite pictures of oceans around the world you can see suspicious shadows. Could megalodon still be out there or are these just UFO sightings in the deep blue sea? Most scientists say there is no proof it survived. But it’s fun to imagine that deep in the darkest parts of the ocean, a gigantic shark might still roam. Even though the megalodon has been gone for millions of years, its legend still stirs our imagination. Scientists say it’s not possible for it to still roam the oceans and there has never been scientific evidence to prove any of the sightings to be real.