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Living Megalodon

Last reviewed Oct 25, 2026 Next review Nov 9, 2026

Painted illustration: huge prehistoric shark silhouette in deep blue prehistoric ocean — AI rendition based on witness descriptions, not an actual photo.

Reconstructed jaws of the extinct megalodon shark at the Tellus Science Museum; fossil evidence, not proof of survival — Reconstructed jaws of the extinct megalodon shark at the Tellus Science Museum; fossil evidence, not proof of survival · JJonahJackalope · CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons) · Image source · License

The claim that the extinct giant shark Otodus megalodon still lives.

Hoax Verdict: Extinct; the 'living megalodon' story is fiction.

Region: Oceans · Records, sky & method · International waters
First reports: 20th-century claims; boosted by a 2013 TV mockumentary

Key sightings

Discovery Channel's 2013 'Megalodon: The Monster Shark Lives' was a fictional mockumentary.

Best evidence

The fossil record shows megalodon went extinct about 3.6 million years ago.

Sources

Wikipedia: Megalodon ↗