The largest white shark in history. The largest shark caught by man. How to catch the biggest killer shark

At all times, it was believed that a real man must curb, defeat and kill a ferocious predator in order to protect himself and the people nearby. Catching the most terrible and dangerous inhabitants of the ocean - sharks - has always been considered a symbol of courage, courage and bravery. Although the fight often ends in favor of the dangerous killers, there are still cases in history of quite successful catching of giant sharks. So, biggest shark, caught by a man.

The largest shark ever caught by a person was a shark that was caught in the territorial waters of the state of Pakistan (near Baba Island) in 1949. The weight of this hulk was 20 tons, and its length was 12.55 meters! At its widest point, the girth of the body was 7 meters. It was a whale shark. Unfortunately, the harpooners killed this fish, subsequently selling the carcass in parts.

Again, with the help of a harpoon, or better yet, a dozen harpoons, one of the largest predatory fish was caught - an almost seven-meter great white shark. This happened in the Azores in the harbor of San Miguel in the summer of 1978. During the fishing period, the White Death vigorously resisted the fishermen, and was able to kill two people - she bit one in half, and broke the spine of another by pushing him into the water. There are known cases of catching huge fish with a fishing rod. The record belongs to Elf Diana from Australia. In 1959, a young fisherman went out into the ocean in a small motor boat and caught a huge man-eater shark using a steel line. This happened not far from the shores of Seduna. The predator weighed 1207 kg, with a length of 5.13 meters.

17 years later, in 1976 (17 years later), the record was broken again by Australian Clive Green. He was lucky enough to catch a shark with a total weight of 1537 kg and a length of 5.24 m. However, this record was not protected, since the fisherman used parts of a killed whale as bait.

Over the past 10 years, one of the largest sharks caught was the hammerhead shark, caught this summer in the United States. It happened in Florida, three kilometers from the city - the resort of Palm Beach. It took 3 hours to pacify this giant - that’s how long three fishermen fought with the ferocious shark. The shark was 4.27 meters long and did not want to give up. It was not possible to lift the huge carcass onto the boat, despite the fact that it was exhausted. The fishermen had no desire to kill the queen of the ocean, but tied with cables, she died during transportation. The weight of the caught shark is 453.6 kilograms. This biggest shark of this species ever caught by humans.

None of the giant sharks caught exceeds the average size for this type of fish. However, it has been established that specimens up to 20 meters in length and an approximate weight of up to 25 tons live in the world’s oceans. Maybe you will be able to catch at least one of them.

The largest shark caught by man. Video.

Interesting pages of our website:

Does the Volga or Kama flow into the Caspian Sea?

Teleportation with your own eyes. Believe it or not...

Tax on deposits in Cyprus. Russian offshore lovers will lose up to 2.5 billion euros

Carcharodons, also known as white sharks, are rightfully considered the most dangerous waterfowl predators that roam the oceans. Many people would like to know what the largest white shark is and what it looks like.

These graceful predators swim in all oceans on the planet, with the exception of the Arctic Ocean. They live in warm waters, so people can often observe them close to the shore. California and Australia can be called the most favorite places to stay for dangerous white sharks. These animals are also called “white death”, since they commit more than a third of all attacks on people by sharks in general. They have from 3 to 5 rows of sharp triangular teeth in their mouths, which are constantly replaced. The white shark has about 300 teeth in total.

Lifespan

Scientists believe that the lifespan of white sharks is 70-100 years. Their maturity occurs at about 30 years of age, at which time they begin to reproduce. These strong, powerful animals are created by nature to be predators. Usually, a female white shark carries several sharks at the same time (from 5 to 10), but gives birth to only one. This happens because the cubs destroy their brothers and sisters while still in the womb, this is how natural selection works.

White Shark Sizes

It is impossible to say exactly what the largest white shark is. Typically, adult female white sharks are larger than males, and can reach a length of 4.9 meters, while males grow up to 4 meters. But there is a lot of evidence, both oral and documented, pointing to other, larger data on the weight and length of the largest predators ever caught:

In 1959, a white shark 5.17 meters long and weighing 1.2 tons was caught on a fishing rod near the Great Australian Bight called Daniel Bay. Believed to be the largest line-caught and officially recorded big fish, it was caught by Elf Dean.

But it is known that in 1976 an even larger specimen of the white shark (or white death) was caught. Also off the coast of Australia, Cliven Green caught a shark weighing more than 1.5 tons and 5.24 meters long. True, there is no documentary evidence of this.

And near the Azores in 1978, with the help of harpoons, a huge white shark was caught with a length, according to various sources, from 6.2 to 7 meters. When they tried to harpoon her, the predator killed 2 fishermen: she bit one in half, and pushed the second into the water and broke her spine.
Another documented case was the capture of a shark, 6.4 meters long and weighing about 3.2 tons. This “white death” was caught and photographed off the coast of Cuba back in 1945.

It is also reliable that the largest measured female white shark was caught off Prince Edward Island in 1988. Its size was 6.1 meters and its weight was 1.9 tons.
There are unconfirmed reports that sharks measuring around 8 and 7 meters in size were discovered and caught in 1982 and 1987 respectively.

In addition to the specimens caught by fishermen, a huge pregnant female Carcharodon, approximately 6 meters long, was captured on camera in 2013 in waters off Mexico. Despite all this evidence, some scientists agree that the length of the white shark can reach 11-12 meters.
Perhaps they are right, there is a possibility that somewhere in the depths of the ocean huge representatives of this species of sharks still live. Or maybe they lived just recently, because the size of predators directly depends on their living conditions and the availability of sufficient food. Lately, humans have not contributed to improving the situation in the world's oceans. Fishing, man-made disasters, environmental pollution (water in particular) - reduces the number and diversity of living organisms on the entire planet. And a small amount of food entails a decrease in the number and size of predators, who have nothing to feed their huge bodies.

The largest sharks: interesting facts about the largest fish in the world

When you hear the word “shark,” the first picture that your imagination helpfully draws is chilling footage from the movie “Jaws.” However, in reality, an encounter with a shark in sea waters does not always end tragically. Moreover, some of these dark predators allow divers to approach them, calmly take photographs and even... sit on their backs! Yes, surprisingly, the largest shark in the world never attacks humans or marine animals, because its food is zooplankton.

Top 5 largest sharks in the world

Whale shark - absolute record holder

This fish is called the whale shark. The size of the huge sea creature is amazing: fishermen have encountered specimens up to 23 m long and weighing up to 20 tons! This is the undisputed record holder among the inhabitants of the World Ocean in all respects. In this regard, only a whale can compete with it.

The whale shark lives in the tropics and is a heat-loving creature. She spends all her time slowly moving in the water with her mouth wide open, collecting a “harvest” into it: various small crustaceans and crustaceans, larvae, small fish. She can sleep whenever she wants, and it doesn’t have to be at night. It is believed that ships accidentally collide with sleeping sharks while sailing, since when awake this fish is able to escape from danger.

Juveniles filter plankton in the depths, while older individuals prefer to dine closer to the surface. In the shark’s mouth there are up to 15 thousand small teeth, but with them it does not bite prey, but only creates an obstacle with their help that prevents the victims from slipping back into the sea. The dimensions of this mouth are such that it can comfortably accommodate 5 adults.

Whale sharks can dive to depths of up to 340 m. After diving, they must rise to the surface to warm up.

The amount of food consumed by a shark is quite consistent with its size: in one day it eats 200 kg of plankton. At the same time, the weight of water that the fish passes through the oral cavity in order to catch small marine inhabitants reaches up to 350 tons.

Of course, such a giant has no natural enemies, so it can afford to leisurely plow the ocean waters in search of food. His vision is colorless. The whale shark can only distinguish between black and white. It’s interesting how it protects its eyes: if an object swims too close to its eyes, the shark pulls them into its orbit and covers them with skin.

The giant fish is a viviparous creature. The embryo develops in a special capsule - the egg - in the mother's womb, and fully formed small sharks are born. A newborn’s supply of nutrients is so large that he can easily go without food for several days, being content with the “products” received in the mother’s womb.

Whale sharks are long-lived. They live up to 70, and according to some sources, up to 100 years, reaching the age of sexual maturity only at 30, or even 35 years.

Second place - elephant shark

The second largest shark is the giant shark. It also goes by other names: gigantic and elephant. It is not that much inferior to its “relative” in size: gigantic sharks can grow up to 15 m, while reaching a weight of up to 6 tons. However, a smaller specimen is officially registered: it is an 11-meter fish that weighed 4 tons.

Elephant sharks prefer cool water. They can be found in any of the oceans that wash the Earth.

If everything is clear with the name “giant”, then the second name raises the question: why did the shark suddenly become elephantine? How is she similar to a land giant? There really are similarities, and not only in size. Some young sharks have a snout that seems to sag under its own weight, so that in appearance it resembles an elephant's trunk.

Just like a whale shark, the gigantic one drifts in the seas and oceans, filtering plankton. She has many small teeth and huge gill slits. The food becomes small crustaceans, jellyfish, krill - everything that moves through the water at shallow depths.

The only one of all the representatives of the “shark family”, the elephant has color vision. It has another interesting distinctive feature: the liver of this shark not only serves as a filter for the body, but also functions as a swim bladder. The liver reaches quite large sizes. It has long been used by humans to prepare oils. Because of this feature, the elephant shark is now on the verge of extinction.

Scientists do not yet have accurate information about the reproduction of giant sharks. Most likely, egg development occurs inside the mother's womb. The shark bears its offspring for 2 whole years, so the size of this population cannot be quickly restored.

It is worth noting another feature of the elephant shark: it is not only one of the largest, but also one of the oldest cartilaginous fish. About 450 million years ago, elephant sharks were already roaming the expanses of the ancient ocean.

Neither whale nor elephant sharks pose a danger to humans.

The largest predator is the great white shark

Well, here we come to the hero of horror films - carhardon, or white death. This is exactly what they call this formidable mistress of the seas and oceans. It is considered the third largest among all sharks and the first among predatory sharks. When this five-meter white-bellied predator, weighing at least 3 tons, overtakes a boat with fishermen, its passengers have little chance of surviving. There are cases when carhardons literally smashed fishing boats into pieces - that’s how much power they have.

The shark has mastered all oceans, with the exception of the Arctic. From time to time, predators gather in flocks and migrate over fairly long distances. What causes this is still unknown to science. It is believed that the reason may be seasonal migrations of other marine animals on which the terrible predator feeds, or mating games.

In search of food, the white shark is capable of going to a depth of 900 m. It doesn’t just have very sharp teeth. And also so that entire pieces can be bitten off from the victim’s body at once, shark teeth are also equipped with serrations.

This fish has a fairly developed brain and during a hunt is able to calculate its actions several steps ahead. She doesn't attack right away. First, she tries to swim closer to the potential victim, looks around, and for some time can swim nearby as if she has no intention of attacking. Then she makes a sharp jerk, sometimes jumping out of the water at her full height, and the unwary sea dweller falls into her mouth. The predator starts eating after some time. Usually she waits until the prey has lost a lot of blood, becomes weak and cannot resist. Then the shark calmly begins his lunch.

Interestingly, the predatory nature manifests itself in baby sharks already in early childhood. While in the mother's womb, the strongest baby shark eats its weaker brothers and sisters.

It is almost impossible to escape an adult shark in the open sea. It has a special sensory organ - the so-called ampullae of Lorenzini, thanks to which it detects electromagnetic radiation emanating from living beings at a distance of many kilometers from them, and immediately begins to move towards the target.

Despite the “vicious nature” of white sharks, they rarely fight among themselves. They prefer to resolve conflicts that arise by simply intimidating each other in various ways. There are now only 3,500 great white sharks left on the planet. This species has come to the brink of extinction. In captivity, the white predator almost does not live, refuses the food offered and dies. Therefore, it is very difficult to restore the number of the genus.

Tiger in the sea

The fourth largest shark and the second among the predatory representatives of these cartilaginous fish is the tiger shark.

When young, these sharks have stripes on their backs that resemble the “pattern” on the skin of a tiger. That's why they got that name. With the onset of maturity, the stripes fade and blur, and the color becomes dark gray.

Tiger sharks love warmth. They live in tropical and subtropical waters. Their sizes are impressive: specimens are known to grow up to 4 m, and others weigh up to 600 kg.

The tiger shark is considered one of the most dangerous to humans. It comes very close to the shore - to beaches, ports, bays. Therefore, an ordinary swimmer swimming in coastal waters can become a victim of a tiger shark.

Tigers prefer to hunt in the dark. They attack without really understanding what exactly they got for lunch today. Therefore, in the stomachs of captured predators they find not only fish and sea animals, but also some rags, tires, and entire corpses of small land inhabitants. One day, a practically intact horse's head was discovered in the womb of a shark. This predator does not disdain carrion. What explains such illegibility? The fact is that a shark is able from time to time to turn its own stomach out and rinse it in the sea. Having performed this trick, she returns the cleansed stomach to its place, and thus avoids diseases caused by the presence of inedible objects.

Tiger sharks cannot be called long-livers. They live to be about 12 years old. The process of reproduction of their own kind is quite painful: the male grabs the female by the fins with his teeth and holds her during fertilization. The wounds received by the female can be so serious that even her death is possible.

80 or 100 sharks are born at once. Their mother, preparing for childbirth, loses her appetite. Apparently, nature provided this to prevent the shark from eating its own newborn cubs.

Pacific polar shark

The fifth largest shark is the Pacific polar shark. This cartilaginous fish, reaching a length of up to 4.3 m and weighing up to 450 kg, has chosen exclusively the northern waters of the Pacific Ocean. Only in cold water (no warmer than 4 0 C) does she feel comfortable. At the same time, the shark maintains its body temperature several degrees higher than the ambient temperature. To do this, she is always on the move.

The giant fish swims slowly, devouring everything that gets in its way: jellyfish, shellfish, squid, even algae. Having eaten well, she puts some of the food in a special pocket in her stomach - for a “rainy day.”

Representatives of the northern peoples have long hunted Pacific sharks. However, preparing an edible dish from it is not so easy: the meat of this predator is poisonous to all warm-blooded animals. It becomes suitable for consumption only after repeated heat treatment or long-term storage in the ground.

So far, science knows little about the Pacific polar shark. Even its method of reproduction remains a mystery. There is only data on the lifespan of the northern predator - up to 50 years.

These amazing creatures inhabit the depths of the seas and oceans of the Earth. They colonized the planet long before the appearance of human ancestors, and we must do everything in our power to preserve this population and not disrupt the fragile chain of life. After all, a break in any of the links threatens a catastrophe, the consequences of which are unpredictable.

This list is made up of species living on the planet, but it is also worth mentioning the megalodon - a fossil shark more than 16 m in length and weighing 50 tons. Sharks are a very ancient species, they have existed for 420 million years.

In tenth place mako shark with an average length of 3.5 m. The largest specimen discovered had a length of 4.45 m. Despite its relatively small size, it is perhaps the most aggressive of all known species of these fish. Mako embryos develop small teeth even before birth in the mother's womb, where makos fight and bite their relatives to find out who is stronger.

Ninth place fox shark . Its length, which is about 6 m, is determined by one part of the body - the long and narrow fin of the tail, so it can be considered not very large, if you do not take into account the long thin tail. The shark hunts with its extended tail, using it as a whip to drive and stun its prey. It is capable of jumping out of the aquatic environment, is very shy and is not dangerous to humans.

Eighth place sixgill shark . The officially recorded length of this predatory fish is 5.4 m, and the average size of most individuals is 3–4 m. Interesting fact: when a person approaches, it tries to get away far away. When hunting, this sea predator is capable of making lightning-fast lunges after its prey.

Seventh place at the giant hammerhead shark . The size of most individuals is 3.5 m; the maximum recorded length is 6.1 m, but such specimens are found extremely rarely. This predator is almost not aggressive towards people, but is still very dangerous if provoked.

Most common Tiger shark takes the next step in size. This is the largest dangerous predator fish. On average, specimens of this species reach a length of 5 m, but researchers believe that there are much larger specimens, about 7 m. This species is very dangerous not only for the fish around it, but also for humans. It is quite numerous and in many states it is allowed to shoot them to protect against attacks by tiger sharks.

Pelagic largemouth shark is on the fifth position in the ranking of the largest. Today it is the rarest shark on the entire planet. There are only 60 specimens of this fish. It was opened in 1976. Belongs to filtrates and feeds on plankton. The largest specimen, a female caught in a net off the coast of Japan, was 5.70 m long.

In fourth place - White shark , its other name is Carcharodon . Known by the nickname "killer shark". This is a very dangerous predator living in the marine environment, its average size is 4.5 m. There is unconfirmed data about the catch of six-meter individuals. The white shark is an endangered species; there are now only 3,500 individuals.

G renland shark - third in length. Lives in northern waters. Its length is 6–7 m, weight is about one and a half tons. Its peculiarity is a certain slowness, due to which this predator uses a special hunting method: it attacks seals sleeping in the water. It is also called the polar shark. It is a very slow fish, with an average speed of 2.7 km per hour. This is due to the low temperature conditions of the living environment.

Next - giant (gigantic) shark . The female of this species has an average length of 9.8 m. There is information that giant specimens up to 15 m are found. Even in the 19th century, 12-meter individuals were entangled in fishing nets. The giant's diet is plankton, small fish, and krill. It poses no danger to humans at all, although its appearance with its wide-open mouth filtering water is quite menacing.

Experts definitely give first place in our ranking to whale shark . She is the largest and longest shark on the planet. With a length of 12–14 m. The largest shark caught by humans is a whale shark; it was caught in the net of Taiwanese fishermen in 2002. The parameters of the fish were 34 tons, length 20 m. But there is evidence that fishermen caught specimens more than 20 m in length. This is difficult to establish, since fishing for this species is strictly prohibited and all facts of catch are carefully hidden. The whale shark is a filter feeder; it eats about 200 kg of plankton and small marine life per day. It has very small teeth, a few millimeters long, and is not at all aggressive.

To pacify, overcome and kill a ferocious predator - at all times this activity remained the prerogative of real men.

Like the most terrible inhabitants of the ocean, it was and remains a symbol of courage, boldness and bravery.

And although the battle often ended in favor of the toothy killers, history has accumulated cases of successful catching of giant fish.

World record for giants caught

The largest shark ever captured by humans was caught in Pakistani waters off Baba Island in 1949. Its length was 12.55 meters and its weight was 20 tons. At its widest point, the circumference of the body was 7 meters.

She was a whopper. Unfortunately, the harpooners killed the fish and then sold the carcass in parts.

Watch video - The largest shark caught in the world:

The largest sharks caught

Also, with the help of a harpoon, or rather, a whole dozen harpoons, the largest predatory fish in the world was caught - almost 7 meters (not officially recorded).

It happened in the harbor of San Miguel in the Azores in June 1978. During fishing, the White Death actively resisted the fishermen and killed two people - she pushed one into the water and broke the spine with the blow of her powerful body, and bit the other in half.

Photo: fishermen caught a great white shark

There are cases when huge fish were caught with a fishing rod. The record for the largest shark caught with a fishing rod belongs to Australian Elf Diana.

One day in April 1959, a young fisherman went out into the ocean in a small motor boat and caught a man-eating shark on a 58-kilogram steel line off the coast of Ceduna.

The weight of the caught predator was 1207 kg, length - 5.13 meters.

Photo of the largest shark caught on a fishing rod

17 years later, in 1976, the record was also broken by Australian Clive Green. He managed to catch a white shark weighing 1537 kg and 5.24 meters long.

However, the achievement was not counted by experts due to the fact that parts of the carcass of a dead whale were used as bait.

The largest shark caught and left alive is now in Okinawa, Japan. The 5.5-meter-long fish (whale shark) has not yet reached the size of an adult, but is already causing a lot of gossip and scandals.

Conservationists demand that the young animal be released into the wild, since after growing up, living in a confined space, even such a huge one, will be real torture.

More than 12 thousand kilometers and dive to a depth of about 900 meters, which no aquarium can provide.

Watch video - An American caught a monster shark:

The largest hammerhead shark

One of the largest sharks caught was a specimen caught in the USA.

This happened in Florida, just three kilometers from the famous Palm Beach, a resort city for stars, millionaires and other influential people.

Photo: largest hammerhead shark ever caught

It took 3 hours to pacify the giant hammerhead shark - exactly how long three fishermen fought with the ferocious fish. The 4.27-meter predator did not want to give up, and even after her strength left her, it was not possible to lift the mighty carcass aboard the boat.

Therefore, she had to be towed to the shore, tied with strong cables.

The catch, weighing 453.6 kg, was the largest shark of this species ever caught by humans. And although the fishermen did not want to kill the queen of the ocean, she died on the way to being transported to the shore.

How to catch the biggest killer shark?

The greatest sea predator in all respects, the great white shark, is huge even with its average size. 15-year-old males of this shark species reach 4 meters in length, females are larger - about 5 meters.

Photos often accompany reports that the world's largest white shark has been caught, but the scientific world often refuses to accept them.

Yes - sharks were caught, yes - they were much larger than the average size for this species, but were the measurement results accurate, were there any deliberate exaggerations?

Sakhalin fishermen caught a 5-meter white shark:

How was the world's largest white shark caught?

Most scientists recognize only one verified fact of catching a large female white shark - in 1945 off the Cuban coast, according to measurements, its length was 6.4 meters, weight - 3.5 tons.

Photo: The largest white shark ever caught

A description of this event, left by one of the participants in the fishing, has been preserved: on that June day, a group of Cuban fishermen from the town of Kojimar went fishing, as always.

Six fishermen on two 6-meter boats went to the fishing area at night, long before sunrise.

For them it was an ordinary day, but all the fishermen had some kind of depressing premonition.

Having scattered bait in the hope of catching large blue marlin, which could fetch good money at the market, the fishermen began to wait for the catch.

Several hours passed, but not a single fish could be caught - the fishermen shouted to each other, their boats separated by tens of meters, driven by the southern current of the Gulf Stream.

Around 9 am, a huge triangular fin cut the surface of the water - a great white shark headed towards the fishermen’s boats. Never before had the six Cubans seen a shark fin of such size!

The reason why fishing was not going well immediately became clear - there was a white shark here all the time, scaring away the fish. It was decided - several silk ropes were connected into one, and a steel hook with half a tuna threaded on it was tied to the end.

One of the fishermen carefully threw bait in front of the shark and it swallowed it.

The fishermen understood perfectly well that they could hold the rope with their hands - the free end of the rope was securely tied to several wooden rafts intended for catching swordfish.

Several hours passed before the rope holding the shark sagged - the fish headed towards the fishermen's boats.

They prepared steel harpoons with wooden shafts and waited for the great white shark - and it attacked, clinging to the wooden keel and rudder, chewing them into small chips!

Several harpoons were stuck into the shark, but it did not die yet.

The largest white shark in the world was brought ashore, where its photo was taken by a French photo reporter from the Le’Monde newspaper, who specially came from Havana.

Watch video - A huge man-eating shark was caught in Japan:

Other encounters with great white sharks

According to experienced fishermen, the Cuban white shark is not at all the “biggest” and they have met much larger predators.

Of course, stories about encounters with truly giant white sharks, along with stories about sea snakes, mermaids and man-eating whales, have existed at all times.

But in the archival materials there is a short description of one event, indicating that the stories of the sailors may be true.

In 1930, a Portuguese fishing trawler fishing for herring in the area off the western coast of the Azores Islands, during the next trawl haul, brought on board the body of a great white shark.

According to the sailors, it was the largest white shark in the world; photographs of this fish were taken, but they have not survived to this day.

So - the length of that shark, according to the measurements of the sailors, was 34.5 feet or 10.5 meters! This information was not accepted by scientists, since the body of the huge fish was not preserved, and it was impossible to determine the exact size and even type of shark from photographs of that time.

In the entire history of shark fishing, not a single fish caught exceeded the average shark size. Although it is known that specimens up to 20 meters long and weighing up to 25 tons swim in the ocean.

Maybe you can catch at least one of them?