"Deep Blue" might be the world's largest great white shark

August 14, 2015 | Environment
Deep Blue: the world's largest great white shark | Photo: Mauricio Hoyos Padilla

A group of marine scientists has filmed what is considered to be one of the largest great white sharks ever found on Planet Earth.

"Deep Blue" is a 50-year-old female great white shark. She was spotted near Guadalupe Island, a volcanic island located 150 miles off the coast of Baja California.

"When I saw 'Deep Blue' for the first time, there was just one thought in my mind: hope. A shark of that size is at least 50 years old and that tells me protection and conservation efforts are really working," explains Mauricio Hoyos Padilla, a member of the scientific team that encountered the shark and director of shark conservation group Pelagios Kakunja.

"'Deep Blue' has been spared from long lines and the inherent dangers of being in the wild, and somehow she has found her way in the vast ocean. During November and December, we have seen several white shark pregnant females like 'Deep Blue' in Guadalupe Island feeding on seals, satisfying their needs to feed their pups."

"Deep Blue" weighs around 2.2 tons and is 20-foot long. Padilla underlines that these giant female great whites give birth close to the shore and in shallow areas full of food and free of predators. Therefore, it's important to protect them fishermen and hunters.

The footage was captured two years ago, but it was only released now. Fifty-year-old sharks are rare.