Top 11 biggest sharks in the world

If we consider extinct species, then here the undisputed winner in the ranking of the largest sharks in the world will be the megalodon. Fossil remains suggest that it was at least 16 meters long and could weigh about 50 tons. This superpredator ate cetaceans and large fish. It was widespread and, due to its size, had no enemies.

The whale sharks are palm in size should be given to this species. It belongs to the largest sharks in the world, as well as the largest modern fish. On average, the body length of a whale shark reaches 12-14 meters, but it is possible that there are some representatives of a larger species - 18-20 meters in length. 

To feed, this gigantic sea creature has to absorb about 200 kilograms of plankton and small fish daily. The largest recorded weight of a whale shark was 36 tons.

Giant (gigantic) sharks are the third largest shark in the world belongs to this species. Males are slightly smaller than females, the size of the latter reaches 9.8 meters. Perhaps there are specimens up to 15 meters long. In the 19th century, individuals about 12 meters long were caught in the nets of fishermen. 

Due to mass extermination, large specimens are now extremely rare. The giant shark feeds on plankton, krill, and small fish. It does not pose a danger to humans, although it looks threatening when it opens its mouth wide. The giant shark allows divers to get close to themselves. But you should not touch it because of the sharp scales, which can injure the skin.

The Greenland Arctic Shark is one of the largest sharks in the world, living in northern waters. Its size can reach 6-7 meters, and its weight can be one and a half tons. Due to her slowness, according to scientists, it uses a special tactic during the hunt - it catches seals when they peacefully sleep in the water. The Arctic Shark is one of the slowest fish on Earth. Its speed does not exceed 2.7 kilometers per hour, due to the low temperature of its habitat.

Carcharodon carcharias, or the white shark, which is often called the "killer shark", impresses not only with the enormous power of its jaws but also with its size. This most dangerous marine predator belongs to the largest sharks in the world. 

The average size of each of these species reaches 4.5 meters. There are several cases recorded in history when fishermen caught Carcharodon more than 6 meters long. The white shark belongs to an endangered species, there are only 3,500 white sharks left in the world.

The honorable sixth place in the ranking of the largest sharks in the world is occupied by the pelagic largemouth shark. It is at the same time one of the least studied species. This deep-sea dweller was discovered quite recently - in 1976. The maximum size of a single shark caught was 5.70 meters. Scientists have discovered only 60 largemouth sharks.

The tiger shark is one of the largest marine predators, which rightfully belongs to the largest sharks. Although the body size of a single shark reaches an average of 5 meters, scientists assume that there are also larger specimens. 

Their size can be more than 7 meters. Like the white shark, this species is also the most dangerous to humans. Parts of human bodies are often found in the stomachs of these marine predators. To protect people from attacks, tiger sharks are shot in some countries.

The giant hammerhead shark gets its name from its impressive body size and ranks among the largest sharks in the world. The maximum length is 6.1 meters. The average size of a hammerhead shark is 3.5 meters. It rarely attacks people, but it is a potentially dangerous marine predator.

The sixgill shark is one of the largest marine predators in its family. 5.4 meters is the maximum recorded length. The average size of this shark is 3-4 meters. It does not pose a danger to humans but it has a negative attitude to touch and tries to get away from divers to a depth. Despite the seeming slowness and awkwardness, during the hunt, the six-gill shark is capable of making rapid throws after the elusive prey.

The fox shark reaches over 6 meters in length and is one of the largest predators of its kind. An elongated caudal fin occupies most of its body length. The way of hunting these sharks is very interesting - they use their tail as a whip and with its help, they first drive and then stun the prey. The fox shark can jump out of the water completely. Its large size makes it outwardly formidable, but in fact, it does not pose a danger to humans, since it is rather shy.

The Mako shark is the largest and fastest predator of the herring shark family. Capable of throwing a high speed - more than 70 kilometers per hour. The mako shark jumps out of the water 6 meters, making it one of the most agile and dangerous marine predators. It is considered an extremely aggressive species. 

The average body size is 3.2 - 3.5 meters. The largest specimen caught was 4.45 meters long. The Mako shark is very dangerous to humans, but in most cases attacks on people were provoked. The embryos of these sharks attack each other in the womb and find out which of them can survive. They develop tiny but sharp teeth.