Scientists say sharks have become bigger and fatter. According to the experts, the apex predators are struggling with the obesity crisis.
Reports said that two shark species -tiger and great white sharks- are benefiting from increasingly bountiful food supplies in protected no-fishing zones and expanding to enormous sizes.
'Mega Tiger Sharks' Suffers From Insane Proportions
Sharks are becoming bigger and reaching "insane" proportions, claims Mirror.
In Hawaii, where shark fishing was outlawed in January last year, female great white sharks have been seen as tall as 20 feet.
Males can reach up to 13 feet, while females often reach roughly 16 feet.
Tiger sharks have also been spotted in the South Pacific, about a third larger than other species.
The increase in population has been linked to the dangerous predators' ability to consume a lot of prey inside the legally protected regions.
Another factor could be the establishment of marine preserves, which have assisted in reducing the overfishing of sharks.
According to World Wide Fund for Nature estimates, a staggering 100 million of them may be slaughtered annually for their fins.
A recent National Geographic documentary, "Great White v Tiger Shark," features two of the largest white sharks ever seen in Hawaii.
The tiger shark is one species whose size has increased the most. The largest were traditionally estimated to be roughly 12 feet long.
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However, a 16-footer was found by marine researcher Kori Burkhardt in the seas of French Polynesia, where the sharks have had further protection since 2006.
"When we first met Kamakai it was really unexpected. I've been diving with tiger sharks in multiple countries, and she's the biggest I've ever seen," Kori said, Mirror reported. "It's not just her length but her width."
The shark, according to Kori, may grow to reach five meters long but is only three meters (9 feet) broad when her fins are attached.
It's also believed that Kamakai, who she first saw three years ago, is not the only plus-size beast in the waters after a recent expedition.
Largest White Sharks
There are more "mega-sharks" than tiger sharks. According to The Australian, two of the biggest white sharks ever recorded in Hawaii were also seen when the video was filmed. Due to overfishing, great white sharks are considered vulnerable and at risk of extinction.
Male great whites may grow up to 11 feet or 13 feet, while females often reach lengths of 15 or 16 feet. But in Hawaii, which in January became the first US state to outlaw shark fishing, researchers stumbled across two of the biggest great white sharks ever documented.
The reason for their bigger size, according to researchers, is that they hunt in packs rather than alone. Dr. Chris Lowe, a marine researcher, referred to the sighting of three 20-foot female great whites consuming a whale corpse as "unusual," reported Oh! My Mag.
Lowe claimed that getting three enormous female white sharks on a whale illustrates a different narrative. The sharks must have been nearby and close enough to smell the whale, which might indicate that the sharks are traveling in a group.
It happened after sharks had attacked five individuals off Long Island in New York in just two weeks. Two persons were also attacked in a separate incident on the same day and exact location. Fortunately, no "significant injuries" occurred.
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