The 4 Biggest Sharks In The World
Everything that involves the world of sharks conveys fear or, at the very least, respect. They are extraordinary animals, capable of covering enormous distances in search of prey to sink their teeth into. But the biggest sharks are the ones that appear in any surfer’s nightmares.
The biggest sharks on the planet
The list of sharks is huge and not all of them are hunters, as you might initially imagine. Their behavior is very different, and the food source can also be radically different. In fact, there are some who, despite their appearance, are completely harmless.
Tiger shark
The tiger shark fully enters the ranking of the largest sharks in the world, thanks to its 5.5 meters in length. Its weight can reach 600 kg, although specimens with measures larger than this have already been found.
His spectacular physique makes him one of the most feared species. Its massive jaw with several rows of teeth appears at all times, and the enormous diameter of its body reveals the incredible strength of these animals.
The tiger shark’s reputation for being violent is not very justified, as it is an animal with mainly nocturnal hunting habits. It feeds on seals, fish, other sharks and even birds that get too close to the water.
Its name derives from the color of its skin, as, when young, they have a striped pattern on their back, similar to the feline. As an adult, this pattern disappears until small shadows remain.
Its main habitat is the tropical waters near the Pacific islands, mainly in the tropics, where the water temperature is warmer and there is a lot of food.
World’s Biggest Sharks: Great White Shark
Without a doubt, this is the most feared animal in the ocean and the most dangerous in case of attack due to the devastating effect of its bite. This species became much better known thanks to the series Shark movies from the 70s and 80s, in which a great white shark was the nightmare of the protagonists.
This magnificent predator’s behavior is aggressive, but it rarely attacks humans unless you confuse it with another animal, such as a seal. When he realizes you’re not what he thought, he’ll probably leave you alone. The downside is that the first attack is usually so voracious that the loss of entire limbs is common.
In terms of size, females are clearly larger than males, with a size between 4.5 and 6.4 meters for females and between 3.5 and 4.0 meters for males.
It’s enough to take your breath away if you spot a specimen of this shark while taking a dip in the sea. Despite this, this legend of a man-eating shark is not fair, as it is a very selective animal in relation to its prey and only attacks when it is hungry.
elephant shark
It is the second largest species among the largest sharks in the world. The elephant shark stands out for its huge mouth, which makes it look like it came out of a horror movie, but nothing is further from reality as it is totally harmless.
The disproportionate size of its mouth has a reason: it feeds by filtering tons of water a day to extract plankton and other small species that fall into its net. However, if you find it, your heart will certainly speed up…
It can measure up to 10 meters in length and weigh 4 tons, making a great white shark look like a small animal. Despite its size, it tends to frequent coastal areas, and it is not difficult to see it a few hundred meters from the coast looking for food.
This spectacular shark prefers cool water, but close to the surface. It’s easiest to find in areas far from the equator, but it’s also possible to see it in any sea and ocean on the planet.
Biggest sharks in the world: whale shark
Yes, the king among the biggest sharks in the world is the whale shark, a fish that can make you shiver if you see it up close, but as harmless as a dolphin. In fact, it mainly feeds on plankton. So it’s not a threat to us or most species in the ocean.
Its dimensions earn it respect against predators like the great white shark. It is 12 meters long, earning it the award for the biggest fish in the world.
This shark moves all over the world, but mainly in areas near the equator, where the water is warmer and more prone to the presence of plankton. Although not a great swimmer, he travels enormous distances every year at a slow speed of about 5 km/h.
Photographs of divers swimming near this shark are very famous. However, while it does not attack humans, it is necessary to give them a reasonable margin of space, because taking a blow from their tail can be deadly underwater.
