THE MAGNIFICENT JAWS

An enormous man-eating, bloodthirsty creature in the ocean, attracted by a single drop of blood, charging humans with rage - the end result is a pool of blood, dismembered body parts and tragedy of all sorts...that how the majority of us have conceptualized the sharks. Thanks to the so-called popular Hollywood movies and melodramatic documentaries the magnificent species is perhaps, one of the most misinterpreted and deluded animals on earth. 

Interestingly, Sharks have been one of the most common 'characters' in Hollywood flicks for decades and yet, unfortunately, rarely any of them tries to depict the true nature of the animal that has possibly outlasted the dinosaurs and numerous others on the planet. Contrary to the false but popular misconceptions, in fact, as they say in Australia, "You are more likely to be struck by lightning, or killed in a car accident than attacked by a shark."

 

While the fossil records go back 400 million years, presently, there are in excess of 400 different species of sharks, with new species found consistently. A few largest sharks that are ruling our oceans are

1. Whale Shark (Rhincodon typus) 55.7 fts / 17 mts 

The biggest fish on the planet, the whale shark, is an endangered species. Whale sharks eating routine comprises solely of plankton. Due to this they're totally innocuous to humans, and plunging with whale sharks has turned into a famous ecotourism fascination in a few nations. While searching for food, whale sharks move their head from the side and open and close their gills to dispose of the overabundance of water. The biggest can weigh more than 30 tons and bring forth 300 puppies.

2. Basking Shark (Cetorhinus maximus) 49.8 fts / 15.2 mts

The giant filter feeder, the basking shark is, again, completely harmless to humans. Their diet consists mostly of plankton. The almost 1-meter wide opened mouth is an amazing visual treat to witness. Basking sharks are highly migratory and are known to cover distances of over 9,000 km a year.

3. Megamouth Shark (Megachasma pelagios) 25 fts / 7.6 mts 

Another magnificent giant Megamouth is found in all oceans, but it's most commonly seen in the Pacific. Like its cousins, this one also is a plankton eater.