The article discusses 10 reported sightings of the Megalodon, a massive prehistoric shark thought to be extinct. While many experts believe the Megalodon is long gone, these sightings suggest that it may still exist. The sightings include:
1. A beached whale with a bitten-off tail, possibly caused by a Megalodon.
2. A pair of Megalodon teeth found near Tahiti, dated to be around 10,000-15,000 years old, contradicting the believed extinction date of 1.5 million years ago.
3. A Google Maps image showing a large fish in the Bahamas, possibly a Megalodon.
4. A famous photo taken off the coast of Cape Town, South Africa, in 1942, showing a massive fish swimming alongside German U-boats.
5. An ichthyologist's account of lobstermen in Australia reporting a massive, ghostly white shark in 1918.
6. A video from a beach in Mexico showing a large shark, possibly a Megalodon.
7. Local fishermen in Mexico reporting sightings of the "Black Demon," a massive black shark.
8. The Brazilian Coast Guard capturing footage of a massive fish, possibly a Megalodon, while on a rescue mission.
9. American author Zane Grey claiming to have seen a massive shark in the South Pacific.
10. A crew of an 85-foot ship reporting a massive shark sighting near the Great Barrier Reef in the 1960s.
While these sightings are intriguing, they are not conclusive evidence of the Megalodon's existence, and many experts remain skeptical.
Here are the key facts from the text:
1. A photo surfaced on the internet showing a beached whale with its tail missing, and the bite marks suggest it was bitten off by something large.
2. The whale was a 70-foot humpback whale, one of the largest animals in the ocean.
3. Experts believe that orcas or killer whales may not be strong enough to take on a whale of this size.
4. The HMS Challenger, a British ship, pulled up a pair of megalodon teeth while dredging the seabed near Tahiti in 1875.
5. The dating of the teeth has produced mixed results, with some dates falling in the 10,000 to 15,000 year old range.
6. This is a far cry from 1.5 million years ago, when megalodon supposedly went extinct.
7. The Google Maps image in the Bahamas shows the silhouette of an extremely large fish, but it's unclear what it is.
8. The Cape Town photo, taken in 1942, shows an extremely large fish swimming alongside German U-boats.
9. The length of the fish in the Cape Town photo is estimated to be around 64 feet.
10. The photo has been disputed, with some claiming it was faked by the Discovery Channel.
11. David Stead, an ichthyologist, recorded a strange unease among lobstermen in Port Stephens, Australia, in 1918.
12. The lobstermen reported seeing a monstrous, ghostly white shark of massive size.
13. The size estimates of the shark range from 115 feet to 300 feet.
14. A video footage emerged of a beach shark in Mexico, which some believe could be a megalodon.
15. The Black Demon, an enormous black shark, is said to be 20 to 60 feet long and weigh between 50,000 to 100,000 pounds.
16. The Black Demon is said to resemble a great white shark but with very dark coloration and a monstrous tail.
17. The Brazilian Coast Guard caught footage of a massive fish while attempting a rescue at sea.
18. The size of the shadow in the footage is estimated to be upwards of 60 feet long.
19. Pearl Zane Grey, an American author, claimed to have seen a shark too big to be a harmless white shark.
20. The shark Grey saw was yellow and green with a square head, immense pectoral fins, and a few white spots.
21. In the 1960s, the captain and crew of an 85-foot ship experienced engine trouble near the Great Barrier Reef and reported seeing an immense shark.
22. The shark was whitish in color and was as long as, if not longer than, their boat.