Mexican legendary black magic shark

key point:

• People claim to have seen a giant black shark in Mexico's Sea of Cortez, also known as the Gulf of California. They claim its mouth was wide enough to swallow a whale.
• The Discovery Channel reported on the legend in an episode called Mega Jaws , which included multiple interviews with local fishermen who claimed to have seen the huge black "demon shark." With some investigation, the show draws some revealing conclusions about the truth behind the myth.
• Huge creatures could be whale sharks, manta rays or great white sharks. It's highly unlikely that it was a prehistoric megalodon, as there is overwhelming evidence that no megalodon existed in the last few million years.

On July 15, 2021, Discovery presents a new special: The Mystery of the Dark Shark.

The show's promise is chilling: hunt a shark as dark as night that can grow up to 60 feet long ! In the long run, that size means the black devil shark (known locally as El Domonio Negro ) could even be bigger than the megalodon, with some scientists suggesting the ancient shark could be up to 100 times heavier than the common great white.

What exactly is a black magic shark, and is it possible for a shark of this size to exist today? Let's find out below!

The Origin of the Dark Shark

Here are the main ideas behind the Dark Shark legend:

• The shark has been reported to have been seen in Mexico's Sea of Cortez, also known as the Gulf of California.
• The shark has been described as very large (possibly up to 60 feet long).
• Also, its skin color has been described as "black as night", compared to the color of ash.
• The shark's mouth is said to be big enough to swallow a whale.

The Sea of Cortez itself is home to more than 170 species of shark and has a rich biodiversity, including giant squid and great white sharks. However, the idea of a shark this size as El Domonio Negro is still unbelievable. To date, several major television shows have looked for sharks.

MonsterQuest: First Black Shark Hunt

The History Channel show MonsterQuest continued the hunt for the black demon shark in 2009. The full episode is embedded below:

The episode, titled " Giant Great White Shark," interviewed local fishermen who claimed to have seen the gigantic shark. Additionally, ships and aircraft are on the lookout for new shark sightings. Their conclusion: Misidentification of other large fish in the area led to the legend of the black magic shark.

The Dark Shark Mystery: Discovery Channel Begins Search

To wrap up Shark Week 2021 , Discovery aired a special titled "The Dark Shark Mystery." In the show, a team from Discovery tows two inflatable blue whales and plays whale audio in an attempt to lure larger sharks. Additionally, the team dumped a concoction designed to recreate whale milk into the sea.

Similar to MonsterQuest, the show pointed to false sightings of whale sharks as the most likely explanation for the black shark. Although whale sharks are not black, their outlines are often very dark when viewed from the surface. Also, their mouths are wide open (intended to feed on zooplankton, not large fish and mammals), which may confuse local fishermen.

What kind of animal could a black magic shark be: a whale shark, a great white shark, or a manta ray?

• Whale Sharks: Living in the Sea of Cortez, whale sharks can reach lengths of up to 60 feet, making them the longest fish on Earth. Although they are not predatory, their size can confuse local fishermen.
• Manta Rays : Dominating the Sea of Cortez, the manta ray is a large and fascinating animal. Not only can they reach 23 feet across, but they also have the largest brains of any fish. On top of that, they are often completely black on top, which can lead to confusion and legends about the huge black demon sharks in the Sea of Cortez.
• Jaws: While Jaws have been reported to be much smaller than Black Devil sharks, the stories about the shark may just be exaggerated stories about Jaws itself.

Could the black magic shark be a megalodon?

The megalodon is a very large shark that first evolved about 20 million years ago and has been the ocean's top predator for millions of years. With their incredible size (which may weigh up to 50 times that of today's largest great white shark), they have captured the attention of the world.

Today, thanks to movies like The Meg, kids know as much about the Megalodon as they do about other prehistoric predators like the T-Rex.

So, does the megalodon have any chance of surviving today? The short answer is: it's highly unlikely. There is no fossil record of any Megalodon dating back to 2.6 million years ago. Our full article on the megalodon smashes every theory of the species' extinction, but most importantly, there is overwhelming evidence that no species has survived in the past million years.

The History Channel's MonsterQuest examined a megalodon tooth that was said to be only 10,000 years old, but it's worth noting that many dinosaur fossils have been incorrectly dated because fossils are often eroded and represerved in newer rock middle. The teeth studied in the show do not pass current scientific testing.

other abyssal monsters

Throughout the ages, humans, especially those who have sailed the "seven seas", have witnessed creatures classified as "sea monsters". Many sightings that were unexplained in past centuries can now be explained with modern scientific knowledge of marine animals. Some of the creatures seen may have been giant squids (a possible explanation for the sirens in Norse legends), oarfishes (mistaken for sea snakes) and hippocampus monsters (sea horses).

As in the case of the black magic shark, these ancient sightings are likely to be scientifically explained today. However, one famous sea monster remains shrouded in mystery – the existence of the legendary Loch Ness Monster. Will the world ever have concrete evidence that this mysterious creature actually exists?

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