Prehistoric giant shark

Divers find megalodon teeth off the US coast

(Bild: kameraOne (Screenshot))

Researchers have found four fossilized teeth of a megalodon - the largest shark that ever lived - on the seabed off the coast of the US state of North Carolina. The fossils are around 3.5 million years old.

The group of divers found the fossilized megalodon teeth at the end of June around 64 kilometers off the coast of the small US town of Southport at a depth of around 30 metres on the seabed. The video (see above) shows how the group carefully combed the seabed for fossils. After almost an hour of diving, the group found four teeth that were between ten and almost 13 centimetres long.

"I've been diving for almost six years and looking for megalodon teeth has been on my bucket list for a long time. It was a great feeling when I found the first tooth," said one of the divers. He would definitely come back at some point to find more.

(Bild: kameraOne (Screenshot))

Animal had a stomach volume of 10,000 liters
The prehistoric basking shark Megalodon, the largest known predatory shark ever to roam the oceans, was up to 16 meters long and weighed more than 60 tons. It could swim long distances at a speed of around 1.4 meters per second. Its stomach probably had a volume of almost 10,000 liters and its daily energy requirement was almost 100,000 kilocalories.

The reconstructed jaws of a fossil megalodon

(Bild: AP)

Devoured its prey completely
According to a study, the basking shark probably met its energy requirements with calorie-rich whale blubber. It was able to completely devour prey up to eight meters long, which corresponds to the size of a modern killer whale. After such a meal, the prehistoric predator was probably able to roam the seas for two months without any other food, according to experts.