The largest recorded and filmed shark to date is a female named “Deep Blue,” spotted near Guadalupe Island, Mexico, last year. She measures between 20 and 21 1/2 feet in length and is estimated to weigh over 7,000 lbs, potentially due to her pregnancy.

According to the Guinness Book of Records, the two largest confirmed Great Whites were extraordinary. One was a colossal 36-foot monster caught off Port Fairy, Australia, in the 1870s, while an even larger 37-foot shark was captured off New Brunswick, Canada, in the 1930s. To put their size into perspective, “Bruce,” the mechanical shark in the first “Jaws” movie, measured 24 feet long. This makes these real-life specimens an impressive 50% longer and within the size range estimated for the extinct Megalodon.

There are reports of an unconfirmed (according to Guinness standards) largest Great White, a gigantic 48-foot shark that supposedly washed up on a South African shore before the 20th century began.

The ultimate size potential of Great Whites remains unknown, as well as their lifespan and whether they continue growing throughout their lives. It is observed that many sharks will grow to a size determined by their environment and then halt until they are relocated to a larger space, where growth resumes. Considering the vastness of the Pacific Ocean, this notion becomes even more awe-inspiring.