12-foot shark dubbed Sharkzilla spotted off the coast of New York sparks wild nuclear mutant theory
A huge mako shark, dubbed Sharkzilla by experts due to her super-size, sparked a wild theory that she mutated from a nuclear waste leak.
The shark measures almost 12-foot and has been spotted in the waters of New York’s coastline.
The giant shark has left her mark on several marine animals, including reportedly chomping a 24-inch bite into a humpback whale, inflicting a 22-inch wound into a seal, and chewing up a 400-pound tuna.
The shark recently featured in the Discovery Channel's Shark Week in an episode titled Sharkzilla Takes New York.
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The show centred on experts hoping to track down the huge beast with local shark scientist Craig O'Connell saying the attacks could prove that enormous sharks are making a return to the area.
O'Connell said: “In the past, this is the place you came to catch monster sharks. There are so many records right here off the shores of Montauk.
“All these monster sharks were completely fished out. They're gone.
“But all the evidence we are seeing is telling me that all these big sharks might be back. I know those big sharks are out there, and we are going to find them.”
The team wanted to find the shark, tag it, and then collect tissue samples for radioactive testing.
He also floated a slightly more bizarre theory, claiming that decades-old barrels of nuclear waste could have an impact on the wildlife that lives in an underwater canyon off the coast, The Daily Mail reports.
“In the late 1960s, they dumped 15,000 barrels of nuclear waste in the Hudson Canyon,” O'Connell added.
“Ten years later, they went out to check on these barrels, and they were all leaking.”
O’Connell noted that the theory was unproven and highly controversial, but continued: “Radioactive leaks could be impacting wildlife, even top predators.
“If animals are subjected to nuclear waste, this could cause genetic mutations and abnormal growth. If this predator is genetically altered, it could be faster, stronger and deadlier than any predator on Earth. We are calling it Sharkzilla.”
After a nail-biting search to track down Sharkzilla, O’Connell and the team eventually found her and were able to get samples for testing.
The test results ultimately revealed there was no evidence to suggest that Sharkzilla was radioactive, with the experts agreeing that she was most likely a pregnant mako shark who just happened to be blessed with exceptionally fast and extremely deadly hunting skills.
During the team’s underwater investigation, they discovered that the area is a breeding ground for makos, with the mothers likely going on big hunts to feed their young pups.
Mako sharks can grow up to more than 13-feet in length and weigh more than 1,250-pounds.
The species is classified as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
Despite looking scary, mako sharks rarely come into contact with humans as they live far out in the open ocean, so attacks are very rare.
Between 1980 and 2024, there were just 10 recorded attacks, three of which were fatal.
Claire Reid