In Jaws, Quint notes that his monstrous prey is 25 feet long. Is this remotely realistic? Did Peter Benchley and Steven Spielberg lie to us?
Everybody has that moment when they realize they don’t know about something that they should probably know about. Whether it’s history, language, science, or cultural phenomena, you’ve felt the stinging personal embarrassment of a moment wherein you realize there’s some common knowledge that isn’t so common. Don’t feel bad; nobody knows everything. Nobody, that is, except me and my sidekick, The Internet!
Somewhere in the world, a confused soul begs the question…
What is the Largest Great White Shark Ever Recorded?
Maybe it’s just me but whenever I used to swim in the ocean (I haven’t been in years, for various shark-related reasons), I would always have that moment where I would picture just how large the shark from Jaws would be, if it swam up alongside me (in the film, Quint notes that the fish is 25 feet long). Following this thought, I would naturally freeze in panic. But I would always wonder.
Was my fear and imagination justified? Did Peter Benchley and Steven Spielberg lie to me? What’s the largest great white shark ever recorded?
Note: I specified “great white shark” because technically, the largest shark of any specific species would always be the whale shark which – though incredibly huge and cool-looking, with the spots – is a boring, filter-feeding sea cow whose record measurements aren’t nearly as interesting as the creature that inspired Jaws. So, yes: we’re looking for the largest predatory shark, which subsequently means the largest Great White.
Whenever delving into the information contained in a “largest [certain type of animal]” discussion, one needs to employ a healthy amount of skepticism. Think about it: if you caught a giant shark or crocodile, wouldn’t you exaggerate the actual measurements a little bit, to embellish the story for the story’s sake? Exactly. This sort of thing happens a lot.
Examples:
- A Great White caught near Cuba in 1945 was said to measure in at 21 feet, 7000 pounds; there’s even a pretty terrifying picture of it with a bunch of folks from the village. Naturally, this sort of claim drew the attention of experts. Upon further inspection, researchers estimate that the giant Cuban shark was actually about 16 feet long.
- A Great White caught off the coast of Malta in 1987 was said to measure in at 23 feet. Further studies, however, indicate that that measurement was exaggerated.
Conversely, when it comes to record-setting fish measurements, time can sometimes turn what was once a very scientific process into a tall tale (or, in this case, “a long tail”). Because fish are comprised mostly of water, extended time spent out of water post-mortem can lead to significant shrinkage. A fisherman may catch a Great White and measure it at 20 feet long but when the shark is brought to an official source for measurement a few days later, it may only measure 17 feet (this may have happened with the aforementioned Cuban and Maltese sharks, for all we know).
According to the Discovery Channel, the world’s largest accurately measured Great White was 20 feet long, caught off Prince Edward Island in Canada in 1988 (experts believe that 20 feet is probably the maximum size for a great white). Unfortunately for fishermen hoping to set records, most Great Whites measure between 13 and 16 feet (and under 3000 pounds).
Now you know.
About Justin Brown
Justin Brown is a writer and artist living in Virginia. He channels most of his mind's molten river of creativity into his blog Esteban Was Eaten!. For even more information about him, check out his website.
Liked this article? Then you'll love these.
-
Know It All: What’s the Largest Animal to Ever Live?
-
Know It All: Why is American Football Called “Football”?
-
Style Q&A: What are the Differences Between Off the Rack, Made-to-Measure and Bespoke Suits?
-
Linkszomania for August 11, 2010
6 People had something insightful to add, but we're missing your voice! Continue the conversation with a comment.
Lorenz
hi guys, I think in times where sharks are gravely endangered and we realize they play a vital role in the ocean’s ecosystems, you should not publish articles further deepening the wrong image of the “bad and dangerous” sharks. Would be nice if that was reflected in your article.
Jun 8th, 2010
Justin Brown
I never referred to sharks as being “bad” in this article; I will concede that there is a passing implication that they are dangerous but that’s only because (follow me, here) most sharks ARE dangerous. They are very large predatory wild animals and they have attacked/will attack human beings.
That being said, do not confuse “dangerous” with “malevolent”; these attacks are not the result of sharks being inherently villainous or just jerks who want to make us bleed (they’re neither) but because, as mentioned, they are predatory wild animals. If a shark is hungry, if you frighten a shark, if you disturb a shark, if you intrigue a shark… there is a good chance that shark might get a little closer and interact with you in a way that you may not find pleasant. Plus, you’re in their environment, which gives a shark an extremely pronounced advantage when it comes to interacting with you and that’s a pretty dangerous situation.
Fear and respect the shark not because it is an evil monster but because it is a wild animal. I would also recommend the same “fear and respect” approach with bears or alligators or rhinoceroses. In fact, add “cars” to that list, too (if you choose to go wander in a parking lot, you need to understand that though nobody is TRYING to run you over, there’s a very real chance it may happen anyway and you should be very careful).
This doesn’t mean I support people needlessly killing sharks, of course. They might be predatory animals but yes, they obviously play a vital role in the ocean’s ecosystems and deserve environmental protection as well as any other creature (I never implied otherwise in the article but whatever). Plus, sharks are way cool — “Shark Week” is one of the best weeks of the year.
For the record: my aversion to swimming in the ocean is not exclusively because of sharks (they are like, #8 on the list of reasons why I prefer pools).
Jun 8th, 2010
Lorenz
Thanks for the response, you got the right attitude
I’m just very aware of the topic now, as my girlfriend wrote her master thesis on the topic.
Jun 8th, 2010
Matthew McKendrick
That shark off P.E.I. was the shark my dad caught.. and he always claimed it was bigger then 20, but thats what they measured I guess.. The jaws are in a Miami mueseum
Dec 8th, 2010
Buks
I have seen a 17 meter Great White Shark!!In SA
Dec 1st, 2011
Your awesome ideas go here: