Great white sharks are fascinating due to their immense size. Many wonder about the largest individuals recorded. Identifying the “biggest” great white shark is complex, blending confirmed scientific measurements with historical accounts and anecdotal reports. This challenge highlights the elusive nature of these creatures in their vast ocean habitat.
The Average Size of Great White Sharks
Understanding typical dimensions helps define a truly large great white shark. Female great white sharks are generally larger than males. Adult males usually measure 3.4 to 4.0 meters (11 to 13 feet) in length, weighing 680 to 1,000 kilograms (1,500 to 2,200 pounds). Females average 4.5 to 5 meters (15 to 16 feet) long and can weigh 1,000 to 1,900 kilograms (2,200 to 4,200 pounds). Any shark significantly exceeding 5 meters (16 feet) is considered exceptionally large.
Deep Blue: The Most Famous Giant
Deep Blue is one of the most renowned large great white sharks, estimated at 6.1 meters (20 feet) long and weighing over 2,000 kilograms (4,400 pounds). Believed to be about 60 years old, she was first documented off Isla de Guadalupe, Mexico, in 1999. A viral video posted in 2015 by researcher Mauricio Hoyos Padilla brought her widespread attention.
She was also filmed extensively in late 2013 for Discovery Channel’s Shark Week. Her girth often suggests pregnancy, which can temporarily increase her size. Her appearances, including scavenging a sperm whale carcass near Oahu, Hawaii, in 2019, confirm her status as one of the largest living great whites known to science.
Historical and Unconfirmed Claims
Beyond Deep Blue, historical and unverified accounts describe great white sharks of even more staggering proportions. For decades, the Guinness Book of World Records listed two specimens as the largest: a 10.9-meter (36-foot) shark caught in the 1870s near Port Fairy, Australia, and an 11.3-meter (37-foot) shark trapped in a herring weir in New Brunswick, Canada, in the 1930s. However, later examinations by ichthyologist J.E. Randall in 1970 revealed the Port Fairy shark was likely much smaller, around 5 meters (16.4 feet), and the New Brunswick specimen was misidentified as a basking shark.
Other anecdotal reports, like the “Coogee Shark” or the “Malta” specimen, also suggest sizes exceeding modern confirmed records, sometimes reported as over 7 meters (23 feet). These claims are challenging to verify due to a lack of precise measurement methods, photographic evidence, or the tendency for exaggeration in “trophy” catches. The absence of scientific rigor in older reports means many impressive historical figures remain unauthenticated by contemporary standards.
The Difficulty of Accurate Measurement
Accurately measuring a large, wild great white shark presents practical and scientific challenges. Direct measurements of live sharks are often impractical, if not impossible, due to their power, speed, and inherent dangers. Scientists frequently rely on indirect methods, such as visual estimation, photographic analysis, or comparing the shark’s size to known objects like research cages.
These estimation techniques can introduce inaccuracies. Visual estimates, even by experienced observers, can vary; some studies show cage-diving passengers may overestimate smaller sharks and underestimate larger ones. Factors like camera angles, observer bias, and shark movement contribute to misreporting. While experienced scientists are more accurate than crew or tourists, these methods provide approximations, making a definitive “biggest ever recorded” a complex and debated title.