Hey there! I’m Danni, and I’ve always been fascinated by giant creatures. Have you ever heard of the supersized African land snail or the massive rabbit in England? They’re pretty cool! But today, we’re diving into the ocean to learn about some really big animals, thanks to a question from someone named Austin.
Austin asked a fantastic question: “What is the biggest shark that ever lived?” It’s a tricky question because there are so many different kinds of sharks in the ocean. Some sharks are tiny, like the dwarf lantern shark, while others have huge mouths, like the megamouth shark. There are even sharks with funny-looking faces, like the goblin shark!
Measuring sharks isn’t easy. You can’t just ask a shark to stay still while you measure it! Scientists have to be clever. One way they measure sharks is by capturing them, measuring them, and then letting them go. But that’s not easy with big, strong sharks like the great white shark. These sharks can grow up to 23 feet long, which is almost as long as six second graders lying head to toe!
Because catching big sharks is tough, scientists use special tools like video cameras attached to computers. These cameras can measure sharks as they swim by. This way, scientists have discovered even bigger sharks, like the whale shark. Whale sharks are covered in white spots and can grow up to 46 feet long, which is almost as long as 12 second graders lying head to toe!
Now, what about sharks that lived millions of years ago? Scientists can’t measure them with cameras or catch them because they’re not around anymore. But they have a clever trick! They study shark teeth, which don’t break apart like the rest of the shark’s body. By looking at these teeth, scientists have learned about a giant shark called the megalodon.
The megalodon was a massive shark that lived long ago. Even though no one has found a complete megalodon skeleton, scientists estimate it could have grown up to 60 feet long, which is like 15 second graders lying head to toe! That makes the megalodon the biggest shark that ever lived.
So, figuring out how big sharks are isn’t easy, but with special tools and by studying ancient shark teeth, scientists have made amazing discoveries. Thanks to Austin for the great question! Stay curious, and keep exploring the mysteries of the world around you. See you next time!
Shark Size Comparison: Gather a group of friends or family members and use a measuring tape to measure out the lengths of different sharks mentioned in the article. For example, measure 23 feet for a great white shark and 46 feet for a whale shark. Use sidewalk chalk to draw these lengths on the ground. How many of you can fit along the length of each shark? Discuss how it feels to see the size of these sharks in real life.
Create Your Own Shark Teeth: Using clay or playdough, create your own model of a shark tooth. Look at pictures of megalodon teeth online for inspiration. Once you’ve made your tooth, compare it to the size of your own teeth. How do they differ? Imagine how big the megalodon must have been if its teeth were that large!
Shark Observation Journal: Start a journal where you can record any sharks you learn about or see in videos. Write down their names, sizes, and any interesting facts you discover. Draw pictures of the sharks and their unique features, like the goblin shark’s funny face or the whale shark’s spots. Share your journal with friends and family to teach them about these fascinating creatures.
Sure! Here’s a sanitized version of the transcript:
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(phone ringing) – Hi, it’s Danni. I’ve always been curious about mega-sized creatures, like the supersized African land snail or a massive rabbit in England. Oh, and check out this cat named Barivel. It’s one of the world’s biggest house cats. So cool! Someone named Austin is curious about really big animals too, the kind that live in the ocean. Let’s give Austin a call now. (phone ringing) – Hi, Danni. – Hi, Austin. – I have a question for you. What is the biggest shark that ever lived? – Ooh, that’s a great question, and it’s surprisingly hard to answer because there are hundreds of sharks living in the ocean. Sharks that can fit in your hand, like the dwarf lantern shark, and sharks with huge mouths, like the megamouth shark. There are even some sharks with interesting-looking faces, like the goblin shark.
The number of sharks in the ocean isn’t the only challenge when it comes to finding the biggest shark. The fact is, sharks aren’t all that easy to measure. Think about it. It’s not like you can just go up to a shark and say, “Hey, stay still for a second so I can measure you.” Hmm, so is it even possible to answer this question? I mean, how do we even know how big sharks are?
Before I move on, I’m curious. How do you think scientists measure sharks? Now would be a good time to pause the video and discuss. Okay, you ready? I don’t know what you answered, but some of you might have said, “You can capture them to figure out how big they are.” And you’re right. One way scientists have used to figure out how big a shark is to capture it, measure it, then throw it back in the water. But that’s not always easy to do. I mean, some sharks are really big, strong, and heavy, and they don’t appreciate being pulled out of the water, like the great white. Great white sharks are super strong—strong enough to hunt whales that are twice their size—and they’re really big. They can grow up to 23 feet long. That’s almost the length of 6 second graders laying head to toe, which means they’re really hard to catch.
So, scientists have invented other tools to measure sharks more accurately, like this camera. When this special video camera is attached to a computer, it can measure how big a shark is when they swim by. Tools like these have allowed scientists to measure even bigger sharks than the great white. Sharks like this one. You’re looking at a whale shark. You can tell by the white spots all over its body. I got to swim with whale sharks in Mexico once, and let me tell you, they were huge. Whale sharks can grow as long as 46 feet, which is almost as long as 12 second graders laying head to toe. Whoa, that makes the whale shark the biggest living shark in the ocean today.
But notice I said “living.” What about sharks that aren’t around anymore? Sharks that swam the seas millions of years ago? Were any of them bigger? Hmm, that’s a really tricky question to answer. I mean, scientists can’t measure sharks that aren’t around anymore with special cameras, and they definitely can’t catch them. Now, you might be thinking, “We could measure ancient shark fossils like scientists have done with other extinct creatures like dinosaurs.” But here’s the thing. Shark bodies are mostly made of soft cartilage, the same thing your nose is made out of. And that cartilage falls apart after the shark dies. So, prehistoric shark skeletons are almost impossible to find.
But luckily, scientists have figured out a way to estimate the size of sharks that aren’t around anymore by looking at something that doesn’t break apart: shark teeth. Check this one out. Isn’t it huge? You’re looking at the tooth of a shark that scientists think could have been even bigger than whale sharks. It’s called the megalodon. Now, no one’s ever found a megalodon skeleton, but by comparing the size of their teeth to sharks that are alive today, scientists have been able to estimate that they may have grown up to 60 feet long, which is like an incredible 15 second graders laying head to toe. Wow. That would make the megalodon the biggest shark that ever lived.
So, in summary, it’s not easy to measure how big a shark is because they’re big and strong, and they don’t leave a lot of fossils behind to measure. But by using special tools, like shark measuring video cameras attached to computers, and by studying ancient shark teeth, we’ve been able to figure out how big sharks are without ever having to take them out of the water. That’s all for this week’s question. Thanks, Austin, for asking it. Now, for the next episode, we reached into our question jar and picked out three questions sent into us that we’re thinking about answering next. When this video’s done playing, you’ll get to vote on one. You can choose from, “What’s the longest anyone’s ever stayed awake? How do mirrors work?” Or, “How were the first roads made?” So, submit your vote when the video’s over. We want to hear from all of you watching. There are mysteries all around us. Stay curious, and see you next week.
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