Megalodon (scientific name: Otodus megalodon) was an enormous extinct shark that lived roughly 23 million to 3.6 million years ago. It is considered one of the largest predators ever to have lived in Earth's oceans.

Key Facts

Length: Estimated at about 15–20 meters (50–65 feet), with some estimates even larger.

Weight: Possibly 50–100+ tons.

Diet: Large marine animals, including whales, dolphins, seals, and other sharks.

Teeth: Its name means "big tooth." Fossil teeth can exceed 18 cm (7 inches) in length.

Habitat: Warm oceans around the world.

How Big Was It?

A megalodon was much larger than a modern Great White Shark. If one swam alongside a school bus, it could be about the same length—or longer.

Why Did It Go Extinct?

Scientists think several factors contributed:

Cooling ocean temperatures.

Changes in sea levels.

Declines in prey populations.

Competition from other predators, including ancestors of modern killer whales.

Did Humans Ever See Megalodon?

No. Megalodon disappeared about 3.6 million years ago, long before modern humans evolved.

Is Megalodon Still Alive?

There is no scientific evidence that megalodon survives today. Despite popular movies, documentaries, and internet stories, all known evidence indicates it is extinct.

One reason we know so much about it is that sharks have cartilage skeletons, which rarely fossilize, but their teeth fossilize extremely well, leaving thousands of specimens for scientists to study.