Megalodon Giant Shark: Discovery Channel Asks If It Still Exists

“Megalodon: The Monster Shark Lives," a program that's part of Discovery Channel's Shark Week programming, takes a look at a possible 67-foot shark thought to be extinct swimming the depths off South Africa.

Most experts believe the megalodon disappeared 2 million years ago. But the TV special focuses on folklore from various parts of the world where sharks as big as 100 feet have been reported. Near India, people believe a monster shark of the deep exists today and that it is as large as the supposedly extinct megalodon, the Discovery film said.

Urgent: Should Obamacare be Repealed? Vote Here Now

Yahoo! TV tried to put fears to rest: “Could the megalodon exist today? The short answer is no.” The article said any megalodons in the waters today would have left something to be found, whether it be a tooth or rotting carcass.

But alleviating any comfort from that declaration, Yahoo! went on to explain that other "living fossils" have been found long after they were thought to be extinct. The coelacanth, which was considered extinct for millions of years, was found in 1938. And the megamouth shark was only discovered in 1976.

None of that information is comforting to those worried about a mega-ton megalodon creeping up during a quiet ocean swim. Discovery Channel features evidence of this giant shark, from rare pictures taken during a Nazi U-boat foray that shows a huge dorsal fin sticking out of the water to video of a large shark attacking a boat.

Yahoo! cautioned squeamish or nervous viewers who might watch Shark Week to be aware — the show featured a 7-inch shark tooth that would give nightmares. But that one came from one of the supposedly extinct megalodons, so viewers should rest easy it doesn’t exist anymore.

Or not.

Latest: Do You Support Giving Illegals Citizenship? Vote Here Now

Related stories:

Maui Shark Attack – 2nd in 4 Days – Leaves Woman Hospitalized

Shark Bites Girl in Half as She Swims Off Indian Ocean Island

Honeymoon Shark Attack: Man Killed While Surfing in Indian Ocean