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Evening Standard
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Incredible moment 'biggest ever' Great White shark Deep Blue feasts on whale carcass off coast of Hawaii

Deep Blue was spotted by divers off the coast of Hawaii (Picture: Reuters)

The Great White shark Deep Blue, thought to be the biggest on the planet, has been spotted by divers off the coast of Hawaii.

The monster shark, believed to be around 50 years old, was captured on camera as she devoured a dead sperm whale nine miles off the coast of Hawaiian island Oahu.

Images show daring divers dwarfed by the beast, estimated to weigh 2.5 tonnes and measuring almost 20 feet, as they swam alongside her.

Among the divers to come across Deep Blue were Mark Mohler and Kimberly Jeffries, who managed to identify her through a tag implanted in her two decades ago.

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I waited quietly, patiently, observing as she swam up to the dead sperm whale carcass and then slowly to me passing close enough I gently put my hand out to maintain a small space so her girth could pass. I know some people criticize touch but what some don’t realize is that sometimes sharks seek touch, she swam away escorted by two rough-toothed dolphins who danced around her over to one of my @oneoceandiving shark research vessels and proceeded to use it as a scratching post, passing up feeding for another need. I wish more people would have a connection with sharks and the natural world, because then they would understand that it’s not petting sharks or pushing them off to maintain a respectable space that is hurting sharks (because trust me if she didn’t like being pet she can handle and communicate 🦈) it’s the wasteful and cruel practice of grabbing and catching sharks to cut off their fins (which slowly kills them) for #sharkfinsoup in a process called #sharkfinning or the wasteful #sharkfishing or #sharksportfishing If it bothers you that I touched the shark please click on one of the hashtags above and leave them a negative comment first 😉 #HelpSaveSharks #SpreadAwareness #FinBanNow #bansharkfinning #Sharkfin Vid shot on my @gopro #gopro3000 #goproforacause out with @oneoceandiving with @juansharks ❤️ @mermaid_kayleigh 💙 @camgrantphotography ❤️ @forrest.in.focus 💙 @oneoceanresearch @oneoceanglobal @waterinspired @oneoceansharks @oneoceanhawaii @oneoceaneducation #savetheocean #sharktouch #touchingsharks #oneoceanteam #discoversharks #discoverocean #greatwhitesharkinhawaii #freedivingwithsharks #whitesharkhawaii #deadwhalehawaii #dolphinsandsharks #🤙🏽 #Hawaii #sharka 🤙🏽🦈

A post shared by Ocean Ramsey #OceanRamsey (@oceanramsey) on

Mr Mohler wrote on Facebook: “Deep Blue, possibly the biggest White Shark identified, coming in at nearly 7 meters, was last spotted in Mexico.

“She decided to come on a Hawaii all-you-can-eat vacation."

Deep Blue was last caught on camera off the coast of Mexico in July 2018.

Melanie Hutchinson, a shark researcher at the University of Hawaii, said a team of divers was looking for tiger sharks when they came across her.

Deep Blue is believed to weigh around 2.5 tonnes and measure up to 20 feet (Reuters)

"I have a few friends that were out there. They were looking for tiger sharks so it was a fun surprise to see this big lady," she told KHON2 news agency.

George Burgess, director emeritus of the International Shark Attack File at Florida Museum of Natural History, told ABC News: "It's a very big white shark, obviously.

"One of the largest that has ever been seen in the water. She's a big girl."

The shark was nicknamed Deep Blue by expert Mauricio Hoyos Padilla, who dived with the creature as part of the Discovery Channel's Shark Week in 2013..

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