Giant 'Sharkzilla' Mako Shark Attacks Marine Life off New York Coast

A nearly 12‑foot (3.7 m) mako shark, nicknamed “Sharkzilla,” has been documented biting a humpback whale, a gray seal and a 400‑pound tuna in waters off Long Island, New York, near Montauk. Marine biologist Craig O’Connell led a Discovery Channel “Shark Week” investigation, tagging the shark and collecting tissue samples.

O’Connell suggested the creature’s unusual size and aggression might stem from genetic mutations caused by leaking barrels of nuclear waste dumped in the Hudson Canyon in the late 1960s. He warned that “radioactive leaks could be impacting wildlife, even top predators.” Subsequent laboratory analysis, however, found no evidence of radioactive mutation, indicating the shark is a naturally large, possibly pregnant, female mako rather than a nuclear mutant.

The events were featured in the episode “Sharkzilla Takes New York,” highlighting the return of massive mako sharks to the region and prompting renewed scientific monitoring of the Hudson Canyon ecosystem.