>> male narrator: SOME 70% OF THE EARTH'S SURFACE IS COVERED BY WATER, BUT PEOPLE ARE ENCOUNTERING SHARKS MUCH MORE OFTEN THAN YOU'D EXPECT. NOW IMAGINE A SHARK SO LARGE THAT IT'S TWO TO THREE TIMES THE SIZE OF A GREAT WHITE... >> KIND OF A SCHOOL BUS SIZE ANIMAL. >> narrator: A CREATURE MAMMOTH ENOUGH TO SWALLOW A SEA LION IN ONE BITE. >> THEY DISMEMBER THEIR PREY BY SHAKING THEM VIOLENTLY. >> narrator: THIS TOP-OF-THE-LINE PREDATOR HAS NO CHALLENGERS. >> LOOKING AT INDIVIDUAL TEETH OF THESE ANIMALS, THE LARGEST OF WHICH MEASURE ABOUT SIX INCHES IN LENGTH. >> narrator: REPORTS SEEM TO SUGGEST THE MAMMOTH BEAST MAY BE STALKING THE WATERS OF MEXICO'S BAJA PENINSULA AND TERRIFYING LOCAL FISHERMEN WHO CROSS ITS PATH. >> WHATEVER THIS ANIMAL IS, IT'S HUGE. >> I LOOK AT EVERYTHING NOW IN THE WATER, WHAT--WHAT IS THERE BEFORE, YOU KNOW? >> narrator: NOW<i> MONSTER QUEST</i> HEADS TO THE SEA OF CORTEZ IN BAJA, CALIFORNIA, SEARCHING BY AIR AND SEA FOR PROOF OF THIS MEGA JAWS SHARK THAT LURKS BENEATH THESE MYSTERIOUS WATERS. >> THERE IS SOMETHING HERE. WE HAVE FOUND IT. >> narrator: WITNESSES AROUND THE WORLD REPORT SEEING MONSTERS. ARE THEY REAL OR IMAGINARY? SCIENCE SEARCHES FOR ANSWERS ON<i> MONSTER QUEST.</i> THE SEA OF CORTEZ RUNS BETWEEN THE BAJA PENINSULA AND THE MEXICAN MAINLAND JUST SOUTH OF THE CALIFORNIA BORDER. THE SEA IS OFTEN CALLED THE GULF OF CALIFORNIA AND IS THE OUTLET FOR THE MIGHTY COLORADO RIVER. IT'S ALSO HOME TO SOME OF THE MOST FEARED AQUATIC CREATURES IN THE WORLD, INCLUDING THE GIANT SQUID, THE GREAT WHITE, AND SOMETHING ELSE, A SHARK SO LARGE AND AGGRESSIVE THAT IT'S KNOWN TO LOCALS AS THE BLACK DEMON. >> ESTIMATES ON THE WEIGHT RANGE ANYWHERE FROM 50,000 TO 100,000 POUNDS. >> WE THINK IT HAS A FORM VERY SIMILAR TO THE EXISTING GREAT WHITE SHARKS. >> HIT SOMETHING JUST OUT OF NOWHERE. THE WHOLE BOAT LURCHED FORWARD, AND I ALMOST FELL TO THE DECK. >> narrator: EYEWITNESSES DESCRIBE A MASSIVE SHARK ANYWHERE FROM 20 TO 60 FEET LONG WITH DARK BLACK COLORATION AND HUGE EYES. THE LARGE BEAST IS MOST OFTEN SEEN RAPIDLY RISING TO THE SURFACE BEFORE DIVING JUST AS QUICKLY, ITS GIANT TAIL WHIPPING WILDLY AS IT DISAPPEARS TO THE DEPTHS OF THE SEA. THE<i> MONSTER QUEST</i> EXPEDITION TEAM HAS SELECTED THE SEA OF CORTEZ AS THE SEARCH LOCATION DUE TO A RASH OF RECENT SIGHTINGS IN THE AREA, SOME WITH TERRIFYING CONSEQUENCES. >> THE OLD FISHERMEN HAVE ALWAYS TOLD US, IF YOU'RE GONNA GO OUT TO THESE ISLANDS, STAY CLOSE TO THE SHORE. >> narrator: FISHERMAN ERIC MACK WAS ON HIS WAY TO A TOURNAMENT IN THE SEA OF CORTEZ. >> USUALLY I'LL STICK A LITTLE CLOSER TO SHORE FOR SAFETY, BUT I DECIDED TO CUT ACROSS, 'CAUSE IT WAS KIND OF A NICE DAY, AND NEXT THING YOU KNOW... >> narrator: MACK HIT SOMETHING THAT STOPPED HIS BOAT COLD. >> TOTALLY UNEXPECTED, BIG, LOUD SOUND, THE MOTOR-- BOOM! JUST INCREDIBLY POWERFUL STOP. PRETTY MUCH, I THOUGHT IT RIPPED THE MOTOR OFF THE BOAT AT FIRST. AND I TURNED AROUND, IMMEDIATELY SHUT THE MOTOR DOWN JUST IN CASE IT HAD, YOU KNOW, PUSHED THE MOTOR UP AGAINST THE BOAT. AND I LOOKED BACK AND CHECKED THE PROP. I COULD SEE THERE WAS SOME MAJOR, MAJOR PROP DAMAGE. >> narrator: IT WAS THEN THAT MACK SAW WHAT HE BELIEVES HIT THE BOAT. >> I COULD SEE THIS TIP OF A TAIL JUST COME UP AND WHIP AROUND REAL QUICK. I MEAN, IT WAS PROBABLY FIVE FEET OUT OF THE WATER. IT WAS REAL SCARY. IT WAS ONE OF THE SCARIEST THINGS THAT'S EVER HAPPENED TO ME ON THE OCEAN. >> THE LOCAL FISHERMEN OUT HERE, THEY CALL IT THE BLACK DEMON, A BIG BLACK SHARK. >> narrator: DALE PEARSON IS AN EXPERT DIVER WHO HAS LED COUNTLESS EXCURSIONS TO THE SEA OF CORTEZ. >> IT COULD BE A WHALE SHARK THAT ALL THESE PEOPLE ARE SEEING. >> narrator: MISIDENTIFICATION WITH SHARKS KNOWN TO INHABIT THE AREA IS ONE POSSIBLE EXPLANATION OF THE SIGHTINGS. WHALE SHARKS ARE KNOWN TO GROW UP TO 46 FEET IN LENGTH. BUT THE PREDATORY NATURE DESCRIBED SEEMS TO DISCOUNT THIS. >> THE BEHAVIOR OF THIS SHARK THAT THEY'RE DESCRIBING AND THE SIZE OF IT DOESN'T REALLY MATCH UP TO A WHALE SHARK. >> narrator: THE LOCAL REPORTS ALSO MENTION SOMETHING EVEN MORE OMINOUS: LARGE BITE MARKS ON THE CARCASSES OF SEALS AND SEA LIONS, SOMETHING WHALE SHARKS, WHICH ARE FILTER FEEDERS AND EAT SMALL VERTEBRATE LIKE KRILL AND PLANKTON, WOULDN'T DO. PEARSON BELIEVES THE DIFFERENCES MAKE IT VERY UNLIKELY THAT THE SIGHTINGS ARE SIMPLE CASES OF MISIDENTIFICATION, AND HE THINKS THE AREA MAY BE HIDING AN UNKNOWN SPECIES. >> MAN, IN THE SEA OF CORTEZ, YOU FIND EVERYTHING. I MEAN, THE PLACE IS JUST LIKE A LIVING SOUP OF LIFE. >> narrator: THERE IS A PLENTIFUL FOOD SUPPLY IN THE SEA OF CORTEZ, MAKING IT AN IDEAL HIDING PLACE FOR A MEGA JAWS PREDATOR. THE CONSIDERABLE DEPTH OF THE SEA MAY EXPLAIN HOW A NEW SPECIES COULD BE FOUND HERE. THE LOWER PORTION OF THE GULF DROPS DOWN TO ROUGHLY 12,000 FEET. THIS WOULD MEAN THAT A SHARK LIKE THE FRILLED SHARK, LONG THOUGHT TO BE EXTINCT BUT WAS DISCOVERED ALIVE IN JAPAN IN 2007, COULD BE HIDING IN THE DEPTHS. THE EXPEDITION TEAM WILL LAUNCH A SEARCH BY AIR AND SEA IN AN EFFORT TO LOCATE AND CAPTURE VIDEO PROOF OF THE SPECIES OF GIANT SHARK. SCOTT CASSELL WILL ALSO BE DIVING DEEP INTO THE DARK WATERS TO TRY TO ANSWER THIS FEARED LOCAL MYSTERY. >> I KNOW THAT THERE IS AN ANIMAL HERE THAT IS THE BASIS OF THEIR MYTH. THERE IS A FACTUAL BIG PREDATOR HERE, AND I'M REALLY LOOKING FOR IT. I REALLY WANT TO FIND IT. >> narrator: THEY WILL FOCUS THEIR SEARCH IN THE NORTHERN SECTION OF THE SEA OF CORTEZ. THE AREA IS FULL OF FOOD SOURCES AND WOULD BE A NATURAL FEEDING GROUND FOR A MONSTER SHARK. >> SO THIS PLACE OUT HERE IS NEVER DOVE. IT'S RARELY EXPLORED. I MEAN, IT'S TOTALLY POSSIBLE THAT THERE COULD BE A SPECIES OF LARGE CARNIVOROUS SHARK DOWN HERE THAT WE DON'T KNOW ABOUT. OKAY, YOU READY, MIKE? >> narrator: THE TEAM HAS DEVISED A TWO-TIERED SEARCH METHOD USING BOTH A BOAT AND PLANE. >> ALMOST MILITARISTIC IN THE WAY WE'RE GOING ABOUT IT. >> narrator: PEARSON'S PLAN IS TO USE THE PLANE TO SPOT THE SHARK FROM THE AIR. >> YOU CAN'T MISTAKE THE SHAPE OF A SHARK FROM 1,000 FEET HIGH. THEY STAND OUT LIKE A BEACON. THEY'RE BIG. >> narrator: THE PLANE WILL THEN RELAY THE SHARK'S LOCATION TO THE TEAM ON THE BOAT. >> THE IDEA IS TO SPOT YOUR TARGET FROM THE AIR, INTERCEPT YOUR TARGET FROM THE SEA, DEPLOY IN FRONT OF THE TARGET, COMMUNICATE BACK TO THE BOAT WHAT'S GOING ON, AND FILM IT SO WE CAN GET THE INFORMATION FOR OTHER PEOPLE TO MAKE THE DECISION ON WHAT'S ACTUALLY GOING ON HERE. >> narrator: WHILE THE SEA OF CORTEZ IS RUGGED AND OFTEN UNFORGIVING, ITS SEARCH AREA GIVES THE TEAM A MUCH GREATER CHANCE OF ACHIEVING THEIR GOAL. >> I THINK IT'S ABOUT 1,000 MILES LONG BY ABOUT A COUPLE HUNDRED MILES WIDE. >> narrator: PEARSON AND CASSELL WILL SET UP BASE CAMP IN THE SMALL TOWN OF PUERTECITOS, CLOSE TO AN AREA WHERE NUMEROUS SIGHTINGS HAVE TAKEN PLACE. >> THE PLAN IS, AS WE COME DOWN HERE, THEY'RE GONNA LAUNCH THE BOATS OUT OF SAN FELIPE AND THE AIRCRAFT OUT OF SAN DIEGO AND MEET US DOWN HERE IN PUERTECITOS. >> narrator: THE DIVERS HAVE COME PREPARED WITH THE LATEST SPECIALIZED DIVE GEAR. >> THIS IS A ZEAGLE RAPID DIVER SYSTEM. IT HAS A 20-CUBIC-FOOT PONY BOTTLE DOWN HERE, AND IT ENABLES US TO THROW THIS ON REALLY QUICK, HOOK UP, AND DEPLOY INTO THE WATER VERY, VERY QUICKLY. IT'S JUST ANOTHER ONE OF THE TOOLS FOR US TO GET IN FRONT OF THE ANIMAL AS FAST AS POSSIBLE TO HOPEFULLY FIND OUT WHAT THIS THING IS OUT HERE. IT'S WHAT WE NEED FOR THIS-- FOR THIS EXPEDITION. ROCKET ONE, ROCKET ONE, THIS IS EXPEDITION TEAM ONE. >> narrator: PEARSON CHECKS THE REST OF THE GEAR THEY'LL NEED FOR THE DIVE. >> WE'VE GOT ALL OF OUR COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS, THE RAPID DIVER DEPLOYMENT SYSTEMS, UNDERWATER CAMERAS WITH LASER RANGE FINDER, MEASURING DEVICES ON THE FRONT, MEDICAL GEAR WITH OXYGEN REBREATHERS. >> narrator: PEARSON AND CASSELL LOAD UP THE BOAT. THEIR FIRST STOP IS LOBOS ISLAND, WHICH HAS A LARGE POPULATION OF SEA LIONS AND SEALS. THEIR PLAN IS TO SEARCH FOR ANY EVIDENCE OF A MONSTER SHARK. >> THEY ANNIHILATE SEA LIONS. THEY JUST SHRED THEM UP, AND THEY'RE SO BIG, SOMETIMES THEY EAT 'EM WHOLE. >> narrator: SEA LION BEHAVIOR CAN ALSO BE AN INDICATOR OF LARGE PREDATORS IN THE AREA. >> THE SEA LIONS WILL GO DOWN TO A CERTAIN DEPTH, AND THEN THEY WON'T GO ANY FURTHER INTO THE OPEN WATER. SO IF I SEE THAT BEHAVIOR, IT'S A GOOD INDICATOR THAT A BIG PREDATOR DOES LIVE HERE. >> narrator: DIVING IN AN AREA WITH THE THREAT OF SHARK ACTIVITY ALSO MEANS TAKING A DIFFERENT APPROACH THAN RECREATIONAL DIVING. >> IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT YOU PUT YOURSELF OUT OF THE FOOD CHAIN BY MAKING YOURSELF EITHER DIFFICULT FOR THE PREDATOR TO FIND OR SO OBVIOUS TO THE PREDATOR THAT YOU'RE NOT IN THE PREY LOOP. >> THE PLAN UNDERNEATH THE WATER IS TO GET UP TIGHT TO THE SHORELINE AND WEAVE OUR WAY DOWN THROUGH THE ROCKS. IT'S THE ONLY REAL SAFE WAY TO DIVE THE AREA. YOU DON'T WANT TO BE OUT HERE IN THE OPEN WHERE THE HIT ZONE IS. >> narrator: THE HIT ZONE INDICATES OPEN WATER, AND IT IS NOT WHERE THE DIVERS WANT TO ENCOUNTER A HUGE CARNIVORE. THEY ARE PREPARED FOR A DANGEROUS DIVE AND QUICKLY GO INTO THE WATER. >> DIVERS, TOPSIDE COM CHECK. OVER. >> DALE, TOPSIDE COPIES. OVER. DIVERS, TOPSIDE. DEPTH AND LOCATION. OVER. >> TOPSIDE COPIES 33 FEET AND ASCENDING UP THE REEF TO LOOK AT THE SEA LION ROOKERY. OVER. >> DIVERS, TOPSIDE. INQUIRY ON WHAT EXACTLY YOU'RE VIEWING AT THIS TIME. OVER. >> narrator: THE DIVERS QUICKLY GAUGE THE SEA LIONS' BEHAVIOR TO GET A SENSE OF THE LIKELIHOOD OF A PREDATOR IN THE AREA. >> DALE, THIS IS TOPSIDE. I COPY. >> narrator: THE SPOT SEEMS A LIKELY AREA TO FIND THE PREDATOR. >> THIS PLACE LOOKS SO SHARKY. THEY WOULD COME RIGHT OFF INTO THE ROCKS, AND THEY WOULD STAY THERE, AND THEY WOULD LOOK AT YOU, AND THEY WOULDN'T GO INTO AREAS WHERE THE WHITE SHARK COULD TRAVEL. AND THERE'S JUST ENOUGH PLANKTON BLOOM RIGHT HERE SO THAT THE SHARK CAN VERY STEALTHILY STAY DOWN LOW AND THEN LUNGE UP TO THE SURFACE AND GRAB ITS PREY. AND THESE SEA LIONS KNOW IT. SO THERE'S BIG PREDATORS HERE, WITHOUT A DOUBT. WHAT ARE THEY? WE DON'T KNOW. WITHOUT A DOUBT, THERE'S SOMETHING HERE. THAT'S CLASSIC SHARKY BEHAVIOR. >> I'M ASSUMING THAT WHATEVER HERE THAT'S EATING THESE SEA LIONS AIN'T TAKING A BITE. WHEN HE COMES IN, HE'S JUST EATING THE WHOLE THING WHOLE OR KILLING IT AND TAKING IT. WE'RE IN THE RIGHT SPOT. WE'RE DEFINITELY IN THE RIGHT SPOT. >> narrator:<i> MONSTER QUEST</i> HAS TRAVELED TO MEXICO'S SEA OF CORTEZ TO SEARCH FOR AN ELUSIVE MASSIVE SHARK REFERRED TO BY LOCALS AS THE BLACK DEMON. THE 1975 MOVIE<i> JAWS</i> CAPTURED THE PUBLIC'S IMAGINATION AND MADE PEOPLE AFRAID TO GO IN THE WATER. NOW WITNESSES HERE CLAIM TO SEE A SHARK MORE THAN TWICE THE SIZE STALKING THE SEA. AND THE EXPEDITION TEAM IS CURRENTLY SEARCHING FOR AN EXPLANATION. IS IT A KNOWN SHARK SPECIES, AN UNDISCOVERED ANIMAL, OR POSSIBLY A LIVING RELIC OF THE BIGGEST SHARK KNOWN TO MAN? >> YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT A COASTAL AREA THAT HAS DEEP WATERS THAT GO DOWN TO ALMOST 10,000 FEET, AN ABUNDANCE OF SEA LIFE. >> narrator: STEVE ALTEN IS AN AUTHOR WHO'S WRITTEN ABOUT MEGALODON, THE LARGEST CARNIVOROUS SHARK KNOWN TO HAVE EVER INHABITED THE EARTH'S OCEANS. >><i> CARCHARODON MEGALODON,</i> OR MEG FOR SHORT, WAS ESSENTIALLY THE NASTIEST PREDATOR THAT EVER EXISTED ON THIS PLANET. IT WAS A 70-FOOT, 70,000-POUND GREAT WHITE SHARK. IF YOU CAN IMAGINE A GREAT WHITE SHARK THE SIZE OF AN 18-WHEELER, THAT WAS MEGALODON. >> narrator: EXPERTS BELIEVE THESE CREATURES WENT EXTINCT 1.5 MILLION YEARS AGO. >> SO IF THEY WERE SURVIVING TODAY, THEY WOULD HAVE AT LEAST SURVIVED 2 MILLION YEARS AGO IN THE DEPOSITS THAT ARE PRESERVED HERE IN SAN DIEGO. SO THE FACT THAT WE DON'T FIND THEM IS ADDITIONAL EVIDENCE THAT THEY'RE NO LONGER HERE, THAT THEY'RE EXTINCT. >> narrator: THE ONLY REMAINS TO EVER BE FOUND OF THE MEGALODON ARE ITS MASSIVE TEETH, THREE TO FOUR TIMES THE SIZE OF A GREAT WHITE'S. >> WELL, OF COURSE, WE DON'T HAVE FULL SKELETONS OF THESE ANIMALS, BECAUSE THEY'RE-- LIKE ALL SHARKS, THEY HAVE A CARTILAGINOUS SKELETON, WHICH REALLY DOESN'T PRESERVE IN THE FOSSIL RECORD. SO WE HAVE TO BASE IT ON THEIR TEETH. >> narrator: TODAY ONE SCIENTIST'S RESEARCH SEEMS TO CHALLENGE THE NOTION THAT THE MEGALODON DIED OUT MILLIONS OF YEARS AGO. >> THE HMS<i> CHALLENGER</i> WAS A BRITISH EXPEDITION THAT SET SAIL IN 1872. FOR FOUR YEARS, IT SET ABOUT MAPPING THE SEAFLOOR. AND IT WAS DREDGING UP THINGS FROM THE SEAFLOOR. ONE OF THE THINGS IT DREDGED UP WERE MEGALODON TEETH, ONE OF WHICH WAS DREDGED UP IN THE WESTERN PACIFIC, SOMEWHERE AROUND THE MARIANA TRENCH. >> narrator: THE MARIANA TRENCH IS LOCATED IN THE SOUTH PACIFIC, CLOSE TO GUAM, AND IS SO DEEP THAT IT COULD EASILY HOLD ALL OF MOUNT EVEREST. >> WELL, THE MARIANA TRENCH IS A DEEPWATER GORGE, UNEXPLORED, 1,500 MILES LONG, 40 MILES WIDE. IF MEGALODONS STILL EXISTED, THEY WOULD BE IN THE DEEPER WATERS, LIKE A TRENCH, WHICH REMAINS UNEXPLORED. >> narrator: IN 1959, DR. W. TCHERNEZKY OF LONDON'S QUEEN MARY COLLEGE EXAMINED THE MEGALODON TOOTH AND ESTIMATED THAT IT WAS ONLY 10,000 YEARS OLD. >> THE HMS<i> CHALLENGER'S</i> DISCOVERY IMPLIES THAT MEGALODON COULD STILL BE ALIVE. >> narrator: AND YET EXPERTS ON BOTH SIDES AGREE THE ORIGINAL TEST CONTAINS A MARGIN FOR ERROR. HOWEVER,<i> MONSTER QUEST</i> WILL USE MODERN SCIENCE TO ATTEMPT TO TEST THE TOOTH AND DETERMINE THE DEFINITIVE AGE. THE TEAM WILL EXTRACT A SAMPLE IN THE HOPES OF SUBJECTING IT TO RADIOCARBON DATING. IF THIS TOOTH IS INDEED ONLY 10,000 YEARS OLD, IT WOULD MEAN THAT MEGALODON WAS STILL SWIMMING THE EARTH'S OCEANS LONG AFTER IT WAS THOUGHT TO HAVE GONE EXTINCT. IT MAY ALSO EXPLAIN WHAT FISHERMEN ARE ENCOUNTERING IN THE SEA OF CORTEZ. DALE PEARSON AND SCOTT CASSELL ARE ABOUT TO JUMP BACK INTO THE AREA'S DARK WATERS, SEARCHING FOR THIS AGGRESSIVE CARNIVOROUS SHARK. >> WHATEVER THIS ANIMAL IS ISN'T MESHING WITH WHAT WE ALREADY KNOW. THAT'S WHY WE'RE HERE. IT IS DANGEROUS. ANY TIME YOU'RE GOING--ANY TIME YOU'RE DIVING INTO THE OCEAN, THERE IS AN ELEMENT OF RISK INVOLVED. >> WHEN YOU JUMP IN THE WATER RIGHT NEXT TO IT, THEY'RE SURPRISED LIKE ANY OTHER FISH, AND THEY'RE NOT GONNA BE IN ATTACK MODE. >> narrator: THE TEAM IS PREPARED TO EVEN USE THE CAMERA AS A DEFENSE AGAINST THE CREATURE. >> WE HAVE THIS WING ON TOP OF THE--OF THE CAMERA WHICH IS DESIGNED TO PUT IT IN THE SHARK'S MOUTH IF THIS GETS IN THE WORST-CASE SCENARIO. >> narrator: PEARSON AND CASSELL ARE PREPARING TO REENTER THE WATER. >> SPEED IS KEY, ESPECIALLY FOR AN OCEAN ANIMAL. THE CHANCES OF HIM STAYING IN THAT SPOT FOR VERY LONG ARE VERY LOW. SO TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE. >> narrator: THEY WILL HEAD BACK OUT TO LOBOS ISLAND, EAGER TO INVESTIGATE WHAT MADE THE AREA'S SEA LIONS SO AGITATED. >> THEY ARE AFRAID OF SOMETHING. THEY'RE BEING SPOOKED BY THE PRESENCE OF A VERY LARGE PREDATOR. >> narrator: THE PLANE PREPARES FOR TAKEOFF AS PEARSON LAYS OUT THE PLAN. >> THE THIRD ISLAND DOWN IS KIND OF OUT A LITTLE WAYS, HAS A PEAK ON ONE SIDE AND A FLAT SPOT ON THE OTHER. THAT'S WHERE WE'RE GONNA BE. THAT'S LOBOS ISLAND. SO IF YOU GUYS COME AND FOLLOW US OUT AND THEN JUST STAY CIRCLED AROUND THESE THINGS. >> narrator: CONSTANT COMMUNICATION WILL BE KEY AS THE PLANE WILL BE SPOTTING FOR THE BOAT BELOW. >> WELL, MY ROLE IN THIS EXPEDITION IS TO BE THE SPOTTER. SO BASICALLY, I AM HANGING OUT OF THE AIRPLANE WITH THE DOOR OPEN AND MY CAMERA ROLLING AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. >> narrator: THE PLANE HEADS SOUTH TOWARD THE SEARCH GRID AREA. THE SPEEDBOAT CARRYING THE DIVERS DOES THE SAME. JUST AN HOUR INTO THE SEARCH, THE PLANE SPOTS SOMETHING. >> YEAH, I THINK WE JUST SPOTTED A SHARK OF PRETTY GOOD SIZE. >> THEY SEE SOMETHING IN THE WATER. >> WE NEED TO STAGE OUR GEAR. >> narrator: THEY PINPOINT THE LOCATION OF THE SHARK, ONLY A MILE FROM LOBOS ISLAND. >> THEY SEE SOMETHING. WE MIGHT HAVE A POSSIBLE CONTACT ON A BIG ANIMAL OVER THERE. THEY'RE GONNA MAKE ANOTHER PASS BY IT. >> narrator: THE DIVE TEAM NEEDS TO BE RIGHT ON TOP OF THE SHARK IN ORDER TO CAPTURE THE EVIDENCE THEY NEED. TO BE SURE THAT THEY DON'T MISS THE SHARK, THEY NEED TO HAVE A VISUAL CONTACT FROM THE PLANE BEFORE THEY DIVE. >> SIX-ZERO-SEVEN, WHAT WAS THE SITUATION ON THE CONTACT OF THAT ANIMAL? OVER. >> THEY MIGHT HAVE GOT CONTACT WITH SOMETHING OVER AT THAT ISLAND, SOMETHING RATHER LARGE. THE PILOT SAW IT FROM THE AIR, SO YOU KNOW IT'S GOT TO BE BIG. >> narrator: THE PLANE HAS LOST ITS VISUAL. >> WHATEVER IT WAS WAS ON THE TOP. BOOM, IT DOVE. SO, YOU KNOW, WE SEE HIM. WE GET TO IT AS FAST AS WE CAN AND GET ON IT, BUT FIRST SIGHTING, NO JOY, CAN'T GET TO IT. >> narrator: THE CREW IS BUSY SCANNING THE WATER'S SURFACE FOR SIGNS OF THE GIANT SHARK WHEN THE BOAT HITS SOMETHING. >> OH, THAT'S NO GOOD. SOMETHING'S NOT GOOD. THANK GOD THE ENGINE DOESN'T SOUND TOO BAD. >> OH, THE ENGINE'S OKAY. >> WE WERE ROLLING ALONG, AND ACTUALLY, WE MIGHT HAVE HIT SOMETHING. >> narrator: THE TEAM IS UNSURE OF WHAT THEY'VE HIT. IT'S NOT VISIBLE FROM THE SURFACE AND DID NOT REGISTER ON THE BOAT'S DEPTH FINDER. >> IT MIGHT HAVE TAKEN OUT ONE OF THE OUTDRIVES IN ONE OF THE THREE ENGINES. >> narrator: THEY HAVE LOST ONE OF THEIR THREE ENGINES. WHILE THEY CAN STILL MOVE, THEY WILL NEED TO GET BACK TO SHORE TO EXAMINE THE BOAT MORE THOROUGHLY BEFORE CONTINUING THEIR SEARCH. >> narrator: THE FISHERMEN OF THE SEA OF CORTEZ OFF THE BAJA PENINSULA ARE WITNESSING A GIANT SHARK PROWLING THESE IDYLLIC WATERS. <i> MONSTER QUEST</i> HAS JOURNEYED TO MEXICO TO INVESTIGATE AND TRY TO CAPTURE EVIDENCE OF MEGA JAWS. AFTER A COLLISION WITH SOMETHING UNKNOWN IN THE WATER, THE EXPEDITION TEAM HAS MANAGED TO SECURE ANOTHER BOAT AND HEADS BACK OUT. THIS TIME, THEY ARE LOOKING FOR OBVIOUS SIGNS OF WHERE OTHER LARGE PREDATORS HAVE BEEN SEEN FEEDING. >> WHAT I'M TRYING TO DO IS, I'M TRYING TO FOLLOW WHERE THE CURRENT LINES ARE SMASHING TOGETHER, AND IT MAKES LIKE A DEBRIS FIELD, AND A LOT OF TIMES, YOU FIND BIG PREDATORS CRUISING IN THE DEBRIS FIELD RIGHT THERE LOOKING FOR FOOD. >> narrator: THE TEAM RADIOS THE PLANE TO SEE IF THERE HAVE BEEN ANY VISUAL CONTACTS IN THE SEARCH AREA. AS THE PLANE CIRCLES, SEVERAL POSSIBLE TARGETS ARE SPOTTED. >> ROCKET ONE, ROCKET ONE, OCEAN ONE, ANY DETAILS ON CONTACT? >> ROGER THAT, ROCKET ONE. WHAT ISLAND LOCATION ARE YOU AT? OVER. >> narrator: FROM THEIR AERIAL VANTAGE POINT, THE PLANE SEES AN AMAZING SIGHT. >> WE GOT HIM. HE'S RIGHT BELOW US. WE GOT HIM. >> narrator: THE BOAT IS ONLY A FEW MILES AWAY. >> OKAY, LEFT TURN. COPY PORT SIDE. ABOUT HOW FAR? >> OH, WE'RE RIGHT ON TOP OF IT. >> ALL WE GOT TO DO IS JUST GET ONE MORE CONTACT AND GET IT-- AND GET SOME-- >> GET IN THE WATER WITH IT. >> YEAH, AND GET IN THE WATER AND FIND OUT WHAT THE HECK THIS THING IS. >> narrator: AS THE PLANE PASSES OVER, THE CONTACT IS LOST. THE DISAPPEARANCE SEEMS TO MATCH THE BEHAVIOR DESCRIBED BY THE FISHERMEN OF A SHARK RISING TO THE SURFACE BEFORE DROPPING TO THE DEPTHS. >> WELL, THE WATER DEPTH HERE RIGHT NOW IS SHOWING AS 90 FEET DEEP, AND FROM THE SURFACE, YOU CAN SEE USUALLY HALF THAT DISTANCE ON A DAY LIKE THIS. SO IF THE ANIMAL'S 40 FEET OR SHALLOWER, WE'RE GONNA SEE IT. >> narrator: AFTER CIRCLING THE AREA AGAIN, THE TEAM REALIZES THAT THE SHARK HAS ELUDED THEM. >> WE'VE HAD SEVERAL GOOD CONTACTS IN THIS AREA, BUT WHATEVER ANIMAL OR ANIMALS ARE, I DON'T KNOW IF THEY DON'T LIKE THE SOUND OF THE PLANE, BUT THEY KEEP DROPPING. SO THIS IS A GOOD AREA. WE JUST GOT TO HIT ON TOP OF ONE. >> narrator: THE TEAM'S ENCOUNTER HAS NOT BEEN THE FIRST RUN-IN WITH WHAT THE LOCALS CALL THE BLACK DEMON. >> narrator: FISHERMAN NATIVIDAD GUADALUPE RUIZ WAS HEADING TOWARDS OPEN WATER WHEN HE SAYS HE ENCOUNTERED THE BEAST. >> narrator: IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SEA OF CORTEZ, HE SAYS SOMETHING HIT THE BOAT SO HARD, IT CAUSED IT TO LURCH FORWARD. >> narrator: RUIZ IMMEDIATELY WENT TO THE BACK OF THE BOAT TO INVESTIGATE. HE HAS SPENT MOST OF HIS LIFE FISHING IN THE AREA AND SAYS THAT THE BOAT COULDN'T HAVE HIT A ROCK OR A REEF, BECAUSE HE ALWAYS TAKES THE SAME ROUTE. >> narrator: THE<i> MONSTER QUEST</i> TEAM HAS RETURNED TO SEA AND EXPANDED ITS SEARCH AREA. >> MY GOAL HERE IS TO FIND THIS SHAPE IN THE SEA, JUMP IN ON IT, AND FIND OUT WHAT IT IS. >> YESTERDAY WE SPENT THE WHOLE DAY OUT ON THE WATER SEARCHING, SEARCHING, SEARCHING. TODAY WE HAVE MORE ASSETS. WE HAVE--WE HAVE TWO BOATS IN THE WATER. WE'VE GOT ONE BOAT OUT FAR. WE'VE GOT ONE BOAT IN CLOSE. WE HAVE AIR SUPPORT CIRCLING OUR AREA. WE HAVE A CONTACT RIGHT NOW. >> narrator: THE PLANE IS UP IN THE AIR AND HAS AGAIN TARGETED LOBOS ISLAND AS THE MOST LIKELY ENCOUNTER POINT. ALMOST IMMEDIATELY, A POSSIBLE CONTACT IS MADE. >> SIX-ZERO-SEVEN, ROCKET. CAN YOU DO A LOW-ALTITUDE FLYBY OVER OUR BOW? WE HAVE A POSSIBLE SIGHTING. CALL TO VERIFY. CALL CONTACT. >> YEAH, WE SAW A LONG FOOTPRINT IN THE WATER, LOOKING LIKE SOMETHING WAS COMING UP TO THE SURFACE, BUT WE HAVEN'T SEEN ANYTHING COME UP FOR AIR, SO IT COULD BE WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR. KEEP DRIVING FORWARD. KEEP DRIVING FORWARD RIGHT HERE LIKE THIS. WE'VE GOT A LARGE, LARGE SHARK THAT IS OFF OF OUR STERN 200 YARDS. WE DON'T KNOW THE SPECIES YET. SO WE'RE GONNA TRY TO CLOSE IN ON IT. >> narrator: PEARSON AND CASSELL PREPARE TO ENTER THE WATER. THERE WILL BE LITTLE TIME TO CAPTURE THE IMAGE OF THIS DANGEROUS GIANT SHARK. >> AS SOON AS HE VERIFIES THE COORDINATES, WE'RE GONNA MOVE OVER ON IT. WE'RE GONNA DROP IN AND SEE IF WE CAN FILM IT. WE HAVE A SIGHTING RIGHT NOW. WE JUST WANT TO VERIFY CONTACT, AND THEN WE'RE GONNA BE ON IT. SIX-ZERO-SEVEN, GIVE ME COORDINATES TO YOUR LOCATION SO WE CAN INTERCEPT AND DEPLOY. >> ROGER, STANDING BY FOR LONG AND LAT. >> LITTLE BIT TO YOUR LEFT. YOU GUYS SHOULD BE SEEING HIM. >> THERE HE IS. HE'S RIGHT THERE. >> OKAY, HE'S JUST OFF OUR WING NOW, GUYS, OFF OUR RIGHT WING. >> narrator: THE SIGHTING IS CONFIRMED, AND THE DIVERS IMMEDIATELY DROP IN. THE PROSPECT OF CAPTURING THE FIRST PHOTOGRAPHIC EVIDENCE OF THE MYTHICAL BLACK DEMON SHARK HAS THEM ANXIOUS. >> DIVERS, SURFACE. HAVE YOU SEEN ANY CONTACTS YET? OVER. >> ROGER THAT. STANDING BY. >> ROGER THAT. STANDING BY. >> narrator: THE TEAM IS UNABLE TO CAPTURE AN IMAGE OF THE SHARK WITH THEIR CAMERAS. >> WE HAD A TARGET. WE CLOSED ON IT, JUMPED IN, AND BEFORE WE COULD GET THE CAMERAS ON IT, IT--WHATEVER IT WAS TOOK OFF AND DOVE DOWN, SO ALL WE KNOW RIGHT NOW IS THAT IT WAS A BIG SHARK. SOMETHING'S HERE. WE SPOTTED IT SEVERAL TIMES. THAT TIME, WE GOT A GOOD VIEW AT IT. THEY GOT A LOCATION FOR US. WE WENT ON THERE. WE JUMPED ON IT, BUT, WELL, WHATEVER THIS THING IS, IT'S KIND OF SKITTISH, YOU KNOW? SO IT MUST HAVE HEARD THE BOAT COMING OR SOMETHING, 'CAUSE WE WERE ON IT PRETTY QUICK. NOW IT'S GONE, SO NOTHING LEFT TO DO BUT TRY IT AGAIN. >> narrator: THE TEAM SEEMS TO BE ONE STEP BEHIND THE CREATURE. >> OCEAN ONE, COPY. >> SIX-ZERO-SEVEN, WE WERE UNABLE TO FILM THE TARGET. HOW'S YOUR RECONNAISSANCE GOING? >> WE MIGHT WANT TO GO AHEAD AND START YOUR GRID PATTERNS MORE TO THE NORTH OF YOUR LOCATION. >> narrator: PEARSON FEELS THEY'RE JUST ONE MORE BREAK AWAY FROM CAPTURING PROOF OF THE MONSTER. >> I KNOW IT'S OUT THERE, MAN. I KNOW WE CAN FIND IT. IT'S JUST A MATTER OF GETTING EVERYTHING DIALED IN JUST RIGHT, YOU KNOW? WE'VE DONE A LOT OF THESE EXPEDITIONS. WE KNOW WHAT WE'RE DOING. >> narrator: THE<i> MONSTER QUEST</i> SCIENCE TEAM HAS GAINED ACCESS TO THE ONLY KNOWN LINK TO THE MEGALODON SHARK: A TOOTH FOUND IN THE 1800s BY A BRITISH SAILING SHIP AND THOUGHT BY SOME TO BE ONLY THOUSANDS OF YEARS OLD. THE TEAM IS HOPING TO PERFORM A RADIOCARBON DATING TEST ON THE TOOTH. THE INITIAL TESTING IS UNDER WAY AT THE NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM IN LONDON, WHERE THE SPECIMEN OF THIS TOOTH BELONGING TO THE GIANT MEGALODON SHARK IS KEPT. >> MODERN BONE SHOULD HAVE A NITROGEN PERCENTAGE OF AROUND 4 1/2%, AND ANYTHING LESS THAN-- ANYTHING LESS THAN ABOUT 0.7% IS USUALLY NOT DATEABLE USING RADIOCARBON. >> HERE'S THE SPECIMEN. >> WOW, LOOK AT THAT. GEE. >> IT'S A BIGGIE. >> IT'S BIG, ISN'T IT? IT'S NICE, THOUGH, ISN'T IT? GOD, IMAGINE GETTING TAKEN BY ONE OF THESE GUYS, ONE OF THESE BAD BOYS, IF YOU'RE A SURFER. IMAGINE THAT. IMAGINE GETTING A ROW OF THESE AROUND YOUR--AROUND YOUR MIDRIFF. UNBELIEVABLE. THE FIRST THING THAT STRIKES ME IS HOW THIN THE OUTER PARTS ARE. YOU KNOW, THERE'S NOTHING IN THE MIDDLE OF IT, IS THERE? THAT'S WHERE WE NORMALLY TAKE A SAMPLE. BUT IN THE ABSENCE OF THAT, I THINK THE ONLY THING WE CAN DO IS REALLY TAKE A PIECE FROM HERE. >> I MEAN, WE CAN SEE ALREADY THAT THERE'S BEEN SAMPLING HERE AND OVER THIS SIDE AS WELL. SO MAYBE THAT'S A GOOD IDEA TO CONTINUE THAT. >> YEAH. OKAY. I THINK I'LL TRY AND USE A SCALPEL FIRST TO JUST MAKE A CUT ALONG THERE RATHER THAN A DRILL, 'CAUSE IT MIGHT JUST DAMAGE IT A BIT. IT'S ACTUALLY-- >> IS IT CUTTING THROUGH? >> I CAN FEEL IT CUTTING THROUGH, YEAH. IT'S QUITE HARD, THOUGH. YEP, THERE IT IS. >> THERE YOU GO. >> BIG, YEAH? THAT SHOULD BE PLENTY. THAT'S--WE DID ABOUT FIVE MILLIGRAMS, BUT WE CAN DO IT WITH TWO. SO THAT SHOULD BE--THAT SHOULD BE ENOUGH. DAVE, WE'RE GONNA TAKE THIS BACK TO THE LAB, AND WE'RE GONNA MEASURE THE NITROGEN IN IT. IF WE FIND THERE'S QUITE A HIGH LEVEL OF NITROGEN, THAT ALMOST CERTAINLY MEANS THERE'S PROTEIN IN THIS. BUT IF IT'S--IF IT'S VERY LOW, THEN I THINK IT'S UNLIKELY THAT THERE IS ANY PROTEIN WHATSOEVER. AND IT'LL ALSO TELL US SOMETHING ABOUT THE CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF THE MATERIAL. WE'D NEED TO TAKE SOME MORE. BUT LET'S JUST TAKE THAT ONE STEP AT A TIME AND JUST SEE, YEAH? >> narrator: THE TEST WILL TAKE SEVERAL DAYS TO COMPLETE, BUT IF THERE IS PROTEIN PRESENT, THE TOOTH COULD PROVIDE EVIDENCE OF THE EXISTENCE OF A MONSTER SHARK EVEN HIGHER ON THE FOOD CHAIN THAN A GREAT WHITE. >> narrator:<i> MONSTER QUEST</i> IS SEARCHING THE DEPTHS OF THE SEA OF CORTEZ IN SEARCH OF A MASSIVE MEGA JAWS PREDATOR THAT LOCALS HAVE REPORTED SEEING WITH INCREASED FREQUENCY. ONE SUSPICION IS THAT IT IS ACTUALLY A LONG-DORMANT SPECIES CALLED MEGALODON. IF MEGALODON STILL EXISTS, IT IS BELIEVED TO INHABIT THE DEEPEST TRENCHES OF THE OCEANS. AT A DEPTH OF 12,000 FEET AND WITH A PLENTIFUL FOOD SUPPLY, THE SEA OF CORTEZ MAY OFFER THE IDEAL HABITAT FOR A GIANT SHARK. <i> MONSTER QUEST</i> DIVERS DALE PEARSON AND SCOTT CASSELL ARE SEARCHING THE SEA OF CORTEZ FOR THE MEGA JAWS CREATURE THAT LOCALS ARE WITNESSING. >> WE'RE NOT LOOKING FOR A 5-, 6-, 10-, 12-FOOT SHARK. WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR IS 15 TO 20 FEET. >> narrator: THE EXPEDITION IS IN ITS THIRD DAY OF SEARCHING, AND WHILE THEY'VE HAD SOME CLOSE ENCOUNTERS, THEY STILL LACK THE CRITICAL EVIDENCE NECESSARY TO CONFIRM THE GIANT SHARK'S EXISTENCE. >> IN ORDER FOR THIS TO GO DOWN, EVERYTHING HAS TO CLICK JUST RIGHT. IT HAS TO FALL JUST LIKE A LINE OF DOMINOES. >> narrator: THE TEAM GETS A TIP FROM A LOCAL FISHERMAN WHO SAYS HE'S SEEN WHAT LOCALS CALL THE BLACK DEMON JUST A SHORT DISTANCE AWAY. THE SEARCH PLANE HEADS TO THE LAST KNOWN LOCATION, GONZAGA BAY. IT'S SMALL WITH A FORCED CHANNEL, MEANING THERE'S ONLY ONE WAY IN OR OUT. THIS SHOULD MAKE SPOTTING THE BEAST EASIER FOR THE PLANE. >> OCEAN ONE, OCEAN ONE, YOU GUYS GOT A COPY? >> narrator: THE TEAM ON THE PLANE SPOTS SOMETHING IN GONZAGA BAY. THEIR RADIO RANGE IS LIMITED, AND IN ORDER TO INFORM THE DIVERS, THE PLANE NEEDS TO BREAK VISUAL CONTACT WITH THE SHARK AND FLY TOWARDS THE BOAT. >> NO, WE CAME OVER THIS WAY SO WE COULD GET RECEPTION WITH YOU GUYS. WE COULDN'T HEAR YOU. >> OKAY. >> WE'RE GOING TO VEER OFF TO ALFONSINA, SO... >> ALL RIGHT, WE'RE TURNING AROUND, HEADING BACK. WE'LL TRY TO GET A CONTACT AGAIN. >> narrator: THE PLANE WILL TRY TO REESTABLISH THE LOCATION OF THE SHARK WHILE THE DIVE TEAM ATTEMPTS TO GET INTO POSITION TO INTERCEPT. >> ROGER THAT. WE'RE GONNA STAY IN THIS LOCATION TILL WE FIND HIM. HE'S HERE. WE'RE GONNA FIND HIM. >> OCEAN ONE, WE HAVE ANOTHER SIGHTING. >> 470 NORTH, 325 WEST. >> HEY, YOU GOT A COPY, DALE? >> OKAY, JUST OFF MY RIGHT WING ABOUT IN THIS LOCATION IS WHERE WE SAW HIM. >> ROGER THAT. >> OKAY, HE SHOULD BE OFF OF YOUR GUYS' STARBOARD SIDE. >> OKAY, WE GOT HIM. HE'S RIGHT HERE, RIGHT HERE, YOU GUYS, JUST OFF OUR RIGHT WING. TRY TO SPOT A SPOT IN THE WATER IF YOU CAN. >> JUST OFF YOUR RIGHT WING RIGHT NOW. >> YEAH, WE CAN STILL SEE HIM. >> ARE YOU STILL ON HIM? >> ALL RIGHT, WE'RE TURNING AROUND. OUR CAMERA GUY IS STILL ON HIM. >> narrator: THE HUNT FOR THE SHARK NOW RELIES ON ESTABLISHING VISUAL CONTACT. >> JUST PASSED HIM OFF THE RIGHT WING, GUYS. >> TURN TO THE RIGHT HERE, BRADDOCK. THINK I SEE SOMETHING OVER THERE. >> YEAH, YOU GUYS ARE REAL CLOSE. WE DON'T SEE IT ANYMORE. RIGHT BELOW US. RIGHT BELOW US JUST NOW. RIGHT BELOW US. HE'S ALMOST DIRECTLY AHEAD, MAYBE A LITTLE BIT TO YOUR LEFT. >> I DON'T SEE HIM NOW. >> NOPE. >> narrator: THE SHARK IS CONSTANTLY SURFACING AND THEN DIVING, MAKING CONTACT EXTREMELY DIFFICULT. >> HE MUST HAVE WENT DOWN, HUH? >> WE'LL DO THAT, YEAH. WE'LL CLIMB UP A LITTLE MORE. YEAH, WE'RE NOT SEEING HIM RIGHT NOW EITHER. WE THINK HE MIGHT HAVE GONE-- RIGHT BEHIND YOU GUYS. RIGHT BEHIND YOU GUYS. >> ROGER THAT. CONTACT'S RIGHT BELOW YOU. OKAY, HARD TO STARBOARD RIGHT OVER THERE, STRAIGHT BELOW US. ROGER THAT, WE'RE OSCAR-MIKE TO THAT LOCATION. TRY TO KEEP YOUR EYE ON HIM. TRY TO KEEP YOUR EYE ON HIM SO WE DON'T LOSE HIM. IT'S GO TIME. >> KEEP GOING. HE'S RIGHT AHEAD OF YOU. >> RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU, GUYS. KEEP GOING. HE'S RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU. >> YOU GUYS GOT IT? AWESOME. >> narrator: THE TEAM FINALLY GETS THE CONFIRMED CONTACT THEY NEED. THE DIVERS DEPLOY INTO THE MURKY WATERS, HOPING TO MAKE AN IDENTIFICATION. >> OH, THEY'RE IN. >> DIVERS ARE IN THE WATER. >> narrator:<i> MONSTER QUEST</i> HAS TRAVELED TO MEXICO TO INVESTIGATE A MASSIVE SHARK THAT LOCAL FISHERMEN CALL THE BLACK DEMON THAT IS SAID TO BE STALKING THE SEA OF CORTEZ. THE SIGHTINGS SUGGEST A MEGA JAWS TYPE SHARK TWO TO THREE TIMES THE SIZE OF A GREAT WHITE. THE BEAST IS THOUGHT TO COMPARE IN SIZE TO ONE OF THE GREATEST SHARKS OF ALL TIME: MEGALODON. THESE DIVERS ARE PROBING THE DEPTHS OF THE SEA OF CORTEZ. THIS MAN SAYS HE COLLIDED WITH THE BEAST WHILE BOATING. THIS EXPERT SAYS THE CREATURE CAN'T POSSIBLY BE A GIANT SHARK. AND THIS MEGALODON TOOTH MAY PROVE THAT THE GIANT SHARK DIDN'T DIE OUT AS EARLY AS HISTORIANS AND MARINE EXPERTS FIRST THOUGHT. THE TOOTH WAS DISCOVERED BY THE ENGLISH EXPEDITIONARY SHIP HMS<i> CHALLENGER.</i> IT WAS TESTED IN 1959 BY W. TCHERNEZKY, WHO CLAIMED THAT THE SPECIMEN WAS ONLY 10,000 YEARS OLD. THIS COULD MEAN THAT THE MEGALODON SHARK, TWO TO THREE TIMES LARGER THAN THE GREAT WHITE, MAY HAVE SURVIVED EXTINCTION AND STILL PROWLS THE OCEANS TODAY. THE<i> MONSTER QUEST</i> SCIENCE TEAM HAS BEEN ATTEMPTING TO RETEST THE TOOTH IN THE HOPES OF USING NEW MODERN SCIENTIFIC TECHNIQUES TO DETERMINE ITS TRUE AGE. BEFORE HE CAN RADIOCARBON DATE THE TOOTH, DR. TOM HIGHAM, DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF THE RADIOCARBON ACCELERATOR AT OXFORD UNIVERSITY, HAD TO DETERMINE THE NITROGEN CONTENT OF THE TOOTH. HIGHAM DETERMINES THAT THE NITROGEN LEVEL IS ONLY 0.1%, INSUFFICIENT EVEN TO BE ABLE TO CONDUCT A RADIOCARBON DATING TEST. WHEN ORIGINALLY EXAMINED, TCHERNEZKY DETERMINED THE AGE USING A TEST BASED ON THE BUILDUP OF MANGANESE DIOXIDE ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE TOOTH. >> THE PROBLEM WITH MANGANESE DIOXIDE MEASUREMENTS IS THAT THE THICKNESS OF THE MANGANESE DIOXIDE CAN VARY A LOT. >> narrator: IT IS VERY POSSIBLE THAT THIS TEST PERFORMED IN 1959 MISJUDGED THE AGE OF THE TOOTH. THE REAL AGE OF THE MEGALODON TOOTH COULD FOREVER REMAIN A MYSTERY. >> IF MEGALODON MANAGED TO ESCAPE EXTINCTION BY GOING DEEP, WE'D NEVER KNOW IT. IT COULD BE HUNTING IN 5,000, 10,000 FEET OF WATER. LESS THAN 1% OF THE DEEP WATER IS EVER EXPLORED, LESS THAN 5% OF THE WORLD'S OCEANS. >> narrator: IT IS IN THIS ISOLATED AREA OF MEXICO'S SEA OF CORTEZ THAT LOCAL FISHERMEN ARE SEEING SOMETHING OF STAGGERING SIZE PROWLING THE WATERS. THE<i> MONSTER QUEST</i> EXPEDITION TEAM HAS SEARCHED THE AREA FOR FOUR DAYS NOW AND MADE NUMEROUS CONTACTS. >> WE HAD SEVERAL TARGETS JUST DISAPPEAR ON US, AND WE STARTED THINKING, "ARE WE ACTUALLY GONNA BE ABLE TO GET IN THE WATER AND SEE THIS THING?" AND SURE ENOUGH, ALMOST AT THE-- AT THE FINAL HOUR OF THE DAY WHEN EVERYTHING'S STARTING TO GET ROUGH AND WE'RE STARTING TO THINK ABOUT COMING ON BACK 'CAUSE THE AIRCRAFT IS STARTING TO RUN OUT OF FUEL, BAM, THERE'S A TARGET. BAM, THE BOAT GETS THERE ON TIME. WE SLUMP--JUMP IN THE WATER. THERE WE ARE. >> narrator: PEARSON AND CASSELL HAVE SPOTTED A MASSIVE SHARK IN GONZAGA BAY. IN THE FRENZY TO CAPTURE IMAGES OF THE SHARK, CASSELL DROPS INTO THE POTENTIALLY DEADLY WATERS WITHOUT HIS PROTECTIVE HELMET. >> narrator: THE DIVERS MOVE IN FOR A CLOSER LOOK. THE TEAM IS FINALLY ABLE TO GET A VISUAL OF ONE OF THE SEA OF CORTEZ'S LARGEST SHARKS. >> narrator: PEARSON ESTIMATES THIS BEAST IS 16 FEET LONG. THE WHALE SHARK IS THE LARGEST KNOWN FISH SPECIES IN EXISTENCE. >> DROPPED IN. WE WERE ABLE TO GET SOME SHOTS OF IT. SCOTT GOT DOWN. HE WAS ABLE TO GET THE LASER MEASURING DEVICE ON IT AND TRY TO GET SOME SHOTS OF IT. >> narrator: WHALE SHARKS CAN GROW TO BE 40 FEET LONG AND WEIGH UP TO 15 TONS. BUT THE FILTER FEEDER IS NOT A PREDATOR. WHILE IT DOESN'T PREY ON OTHER LARGE ANIMALS, THE WHALE SHARK HAS A VARIETY OF DEFENSES INCLUDING A MASSIVE TAIL. >> WHEN I FINALLY HAD THE SHARK TO DROP IN ON, I FELL OFF THE BOAT, AND I ROLLED FORWARD, AND, LIKE, FIVE FEET AWAY FROM ME IS A 10,000-POUND SHARK. SO IT WAS RIGHT THERE IN FRONT OF ME. I ALMOST LANDED RIGHT ON TOP OF IT. >> WHAT DO YOU THINK, SCOTT? >> HE WAS PROBABLY ABOUT A 16-FOOT, 14--14- TO 16-FOOTER. >> IF THIS IS--IF THIS IS THE THING THAT THE FISHERMEN ARE TALKING ABOUT, I DON'T KNOW. THAT'S DEFINITELY NOT A CARNIVORE. THIS IS DEFINITELY NOT THE ANIMAL THAT'S EATING SEA LIONS AND BITING INTO WHALES. >> THE BIGGEST FISH IN THE WORLD ACTUALLY FEEDS ON THE SMALLEST ANIMAL IN THE--IN THE SEA. >> narrator: THE TEAM CONCLUDES THAT MISIDENTIFICATION IS THE MOST LIKELY EXPLANATION FOR THE HUGE SHARKS BEING SPOTTED IN THE AREA. >> SO IT'S EASY TO UNDERSTAND WHY PEOPLE WOULD BE DOWN HERE AND THEY WOULD SEE THIS BIG MASSIVE SHARK IN THIS MURKY WATER AND THINK IT'S SOMETHING THAT IT'S NOT. >> IF YOU ARE LOOKING IN DARK WATER AND YOU SEE THIS ANIMAL, IT'S EASY TO MIS-I.D. IT. >> narrator:<i> MONSTER QUEST</i> HAS MADE SOME INTERESTING DISCOVERIES. THE ANALYSIS OF A MEGALODON TOOTH THOUGHT TO BE ONLY 10,000 YEARS OLD HAS REVEALED THAT THE TOOTH IS NOT DATABLE BY SCIENTIFIC TESTING. THE EXPEDITION TEAM HAS DETERMINED THAT THE SHARKS THAT LOCAL FISHERMEN ARE SEEING ARE WHALE SHARKS WHICH HAVE BEEN MISIDENTIFIED. THE SEA OF CORTEZ HAS REVEALED ITSELF TO HOLD MANY OF THE WORLD'S MOST UNUSUAL CREATURES. BUT A MEGA JAWS SHARK IS NOT ONE OF THEM. >> YOU KNOW, I THINK WE FOUND A LARGE SHARK OUT HERE. YOU KNOW, THEY SAID IT'S 15 TO 30 FEET LONG, BLACK. THEY'RE SEEING IT IN MURKY WATER TOWARDS THE SURFACE. WE FOLLOWED ALL THOSE CLUES AND PUT ALL THE--ALL THE ASSETS DOWN HERE TO FIND IT, AND THAT'S WHAT WE FOUND. THIS WHALE SHARK IS DEFINITELY NOT WHAT'S EATING SEA LIONS. IT'S DEFINITELY NOT WHAT'S TAKING BITES OUT OF WHALES. SO I THINK THERE COULD--THERE HAS TO BE ANOTHER SHARK DOWN HERE THAT'S DOING THAT. >> I THINK THAT THERE'S STILL A MYSTERY ABOUT THE SEA OF CORTEZ THAT WE HAVEN'T FIGURED OUT YET. >> THE OCEAN TODAY IS STILL A PRETTY DANGEROUS PLACE. THERE'S A LOT OF ACTIVITY GOING ON. >> THERE'S ALWAYS THE POSSIBILITY THAT A 70-FOOT GREAT WHITE SHARK IS STILL ROAMING OUR OCEANS. AND WHAT WOULD IT BE LIKE TO RUN INTO ONE OF 'EM? Captioning by<font color="#00FF00"> CaptionMax</font> www.captionmax.com
