What is the largest shark ever caught?

As of 2014, the largest shark ever captured was a whale shark, measuring 12.6 metres and weighing an estimated 15.5 tons. It was captured in 1949 off the coast of Baba Island near Pakistan.

The whale shark is a docile filter feeder, and poses little threat to humans. Controversy exists regarding the largest specimen of a predatory shark, since some claims provide little solid evidence. The largest scientifically-measured predatory shark ever caught was a great white shark, which was caught off of Prince Edward's Island in Canada in 1988. It was a female that measured 20 feet long and weighed an estimated 4,200 pounds.