You may have had the chance to cross huge animals during your dives such as the Mola Mola 3 meters, the blue marlin 5 meters, the famous manta ray 5.5 meters or even the tiger shark 5 meters. But you should know that there is many larger sea monsters. Let’s look at the ranking of the 10 largest marine species in the world:
N°10 Great Hammer Shark and the Great White Shark
Up to 6 meters
The great hammer shark, is very popular among divers and is, so to speak, extremely photogenic. It can be found in most of the tropical oceans of the planet. Its characteristic, which differentiates it from the other species of sharks, lies at the broad flattened extensions of its head. This physical aspect allows him to take very tight turns and to detect the electromagnetic variations.
The great white shark, it is by far the most famous shark in the world. Made famous by the film “Jaws”, this shark became the obsession of many spectators. Today considered as one of the greatest marine predators, the white shark has its defenders and its detractors. It is possible to observe the white shark through steel cages in particular in South Africa, Australia and the Gulf of Mexico. The largest specimen observed to date is a 6.09 meter female named Deep Blue who lives off the island of Guadalupe.
N°9 Northern Fish Saw and Manta Ray Oceanic Giant
Up to 7 meters
The Sawfish is not a shark. It belongs to the family of rays. This fish is famous thanks to its massive saw at the front of his head. This tapered extension composed of 14 to 22 very large teeth on each side, serves to detect its prey and to cut its food. It is found mainly in Oceania and Africa. The most famous and largest of the many species of rays is the giant Manta ray that can reach 7 meters wingspan for a weight of 2 tons. This fish is undoubtedly one of the most popular for divers worldwide. The manta ray is a large cartilaginous fish whose body has two large lateral wings that allow it to move gracefully.
N°8 Greenland shark
7.3 meters
The Greenland shark is a record-breaking fish. First of all, it lives in an extremely cold environment water between 2 ° and 7 ° Celsius and it has numerous characteristics that make it exceptional: its imposing size which propels it to the 8th rank of this classification, its longevity because it can live almost 400 years, its extremely toxic flesh and the presence throughout all its life of a marine parasite hooked to its eye.
N°7 Giant Pacific octopus
Up to 9 meters
The giant octopus of the Pacific has four pairs of long arms measuring, in average, 4 meters. Some exceptional specimens have been caught in recent years, the largest of which weighed about 180 kgs for a length of 9 meters. Octopus ages in the same way as humans, meaning that their immune system reproduces gradually during their life. At a certain age, the octopuses can no longer feed themselves and die.
N°6 Regalec
Up to 11 meters
The regalec is the longest bone fish on the planet. Its maximum size is not known even if the observed specimens measure around 5 meters in length. Recently, during explorations with remote-controlled submarine robots, some regalecs were seen on the cameras. These new specimens reached a record length of 11 meters for an estimated weight of 270 kgs and it is likely that even larger specimens exist in the ocean.
N°5 Basking Shark
Up to 12 meters
Baskings Sharks are the second largest sharks in the world. Living in the temperate waters of the coastal plateaus, it is found mainly in the Atlantic Ocean widely close to Ireland and Pacific Ocean. As a pacific specie, the basking shark feeds exclusively on zooplankton algae or microscopic animals which it absorbs by its very broad mouth.
N°4 Giant Squid
Up to 13 meters
This giant squid is the second largest mollusk on the planet. It is known to reach exceptional dimensions: 10 meters in length for males and 13 meters for females. Although many people said they fished larger specimens, no specimens or photographs were able to prove it. The giant squid is found at depths of more than 500 meters where only its predators sperm whales go.
N°3 Colossal Squid, the largest mollusk in the oceans
Up to 14 meters
The colossal squid is the longest known submarine invertebrate in the world. It is also known to have the largest eyes of the animal kingdom 27 cm. The colossal squid is a very different species from the giant squid because of its anatomy or its habitat, close to the south pole. Many things are still to be discovered on this predator of the abyss given the depths in which it evolves but also the harsh climatic conditions of the Antarctic Ocean.
N°2 Whale Shark, the world’s largest fish
Up to 20 meters
The whale shark is the largest fish in the world and one of the most important one for divers as well as the manta rays. Every diver want to see one and many dive shops flourish around its habitat. Where to dive with whale sharks? This shark feeds on plankton and krill and it is harmless to human. The majority of the specimens observed are between 2 and 14 meters, although the size of the whale shark may be greater in 1999, a whale shark of 20 meters was seen.
N°1 Cyanea Capillata, the world’s largest jellyfish
Up to 40 meters
The lion’s mane jellyfish is the longest marine creature on the planet. This giant jellyfish known as Cyanea capillata can measure more than 2 meters in width with tentacles up to 40 meters long. The numerous tentacles resemble an imposing hair floating in the currents. This jellyfish is found offshore and shallow in the cold waters of the Atlantic and the North Pacific. Its puncture causes muscle cramps, burns, heart rhythm disorders and respiratory disorders, and even, in some cases, death.
