DOES PHOTOGRAPH OF BITTEN GREAT WHITE SHARK SUGGEST SHARKS THE SIZE OF 'JAWS' EXIST?

An image of a Great White shark with what appears to be a giant bite mark around it’s body has resurfaced online and is putting shark experts and enthusiasts into a tail-spin of speculation.

The images in question was taken 2 years ago by renowned shark photographer Jalil Najafov and begs the questions… If this scar is from the bite, could it suggest killer sharks, the size seen in Jaws (and its sequels) be swimming in our oceans today?

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A similar photo was taken by ANDY BRANDY CASAGRANDE IV in 2011 in Guadalupe Island, Mexico. The shark in the image estimated to be around 17ft in length with a bite mark covering approximately 40% of its body.

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Speculation

Many people have theorised what may have caused this type and size of scar.

Mating: Male sharks have paired reproductive organs called a claspers, and female sharks have an opening called a cloaca. Fertilization occurs when a clasper is inserted into the cloaca and sperm is injected into the female. ... Often the male will bite onto the female to hold themselves during mating. Only problem with this theory is that the scarred shark is male.

Boat Propellor

Just as Mayor Vaughn suggested in Jaws, the shark encountering a motoring boat propellor seems to be a popular theory for ‘the bite’ however, this is unlikely due the shape and position of the scar as well the damage caused which is usually catastrophic.

Orca attack

Killer whales off the coast of South Africa are killing great white sharks and eating their livers, according to a new government report. At the very top of the food chain, killer whales, or orcas, are ripping out the fatty livers of their unfortunate white shark prey with their teeth.

Jaws

So if mating, Orca attacks and boat propellor can be ruled out is it possible that another, giant shark such as the ones seen in the Jaws franchise are responsible for ‘the bite’? The answer is it’s totally possible. But unlikely.

Sharks have been witnessed biting and attacking each other both deliberately (e.g. when fighting for mates / getting too close) and accidentally (e.g. feeding frenzy).

The shark in Jaws was estimated to be 25 feet in length and weigh 3 tons. The largest great white recognized by the International Game Fish Association (IGFA) is one caught by Alf Dean in south Australian waters in 1959, weighing 1,208 kg (2,663 lb) - 1.3 tons. The largest (known) living Great White shark , named Deep Blue, is thought to be around 20feet long.

If the shark with the scar was bitten as an adult, the shark that did the biting would be at least 25 feet in length. Way beyond the normal size for the species. However, what if the bite was committed by a shark we haven’t seen yet?

More than eighty percent of our ocean is unmapped, unobserved, and unexplored. ... Currently, less than ten percent of the global ocean is mapped using modern sonar technology. For the ocean and coastal waters of the United States, only about 35 percent has been mapped with modern methods. Does this mean we are still yet to discover 80% of shark species? It’s totally possible.

Our theory is the scarred sharks were likely bitten by adult Great Whites when they were young and the scars have grown with them. Seems to be the most logical explanation.

Words by Ross Williams

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