Megalodon Kicks Off Shark Week, But Could 67-Foot Shark Really Exist Today?

Megalodon kicked off Discovery Channel’s annual Shark Week marathon, but questions remain over whether or not the 67-foot-long shark could actually exist today.

Along with Air Jaws, Megalodon: The Monster Shark Lives aired on Sunday night, but viewers are now wondering if the believed-extinct shark could be living in the deep waters off the coast of Africa.

The ancient species of shark is thought to have lived about 28 to 1.5 million years ago, reports Yahoo! TV. But the film offers a glimpse of what could be happening if the shark still existed.

While it’s not impossible to think a giant shark capable of eating a bus is responsible for several attacks off of the coast of South Africa, there is no photographic evidence the monsters still exist.

So, the short answer to the question of megalodon’s continued existence is simple — no. But nature has a way of surprising us with creatures once thought to be extinct being rediscovered.

And it’s only been 10 years since we first photographed a deep-sea giant squid. There are several creatures in the deep blue ocean that have yet to be discovered by marine biologists, who sometimes call the wide expanses of water the last unexplored territory on Earth.

The Examiner adds that Megalodon: The Monster Shark Lives features a team of researchers off the coast of Cape Town, South Africa, who are searching for the massive shark.

While Great Whites are very common in the area, a shark more than twice its length has yet to be found. And, disappointingly for some, there are no clues that the monster shark still lives today.

Despite the hopes from some that megalodon could be exploring the greatest depths of the ocean, it is not likely. For one, shark attacks in South Africa usually bear the markings of a Great White, rather than a monster twice its size. While hopefuls could use the example of the giant squid, there has been circumstantial evidence that it existed for years before the photo was taken.

But while the short answer of megalodon’s existence is “no,” the true answer should really be, “We don’t know.” Until marine biologists search the depths of the ocean, it is entirely possible to theorize the monster could still roam.

Do you think megalodon still exists?

[Image via ShutterStock]