MONSTERQUEST: Mega Jaws

History Channel - Original Air Date: 3/18/09

Does the giant shark megalodon survive in the Sea of Cortes between Mexico and Baja California?  The locals claim to see a larger predator they call the Black Demon, a shark of gigantic size -- perhaps even "as big as a school bus."  MQ sends out the usual Sea of Cortes crew (from the squid and giant octopus episodes) to look for it.  They plan to use airplanes for scouting and actually dive into the surf if they see the monster.  White sharks live here, but is there anything larger?  Could a supposedly extinct beast exist in the sea's deep trenches?  The team tries to find spots where big predators feed, and hopes to dive on any targets they find.  Fishermen tell tales of having their boats hit by something large and unseen, perhaps a big shark.  The team spots some prospects, but by the time they get into the water, their targets are gone.  They do eventually find a whale shark, and conclude that misidentification of such creatures is likely responsible for most local legends.  A meg tooth supposed to be only 10,000 years old proves untestable for age.

While they don't find what they were looking for, the team does some pretty good science in this episode.  It's nice to see the sea-going monster hunters again, and it's nice not to be watching another MQ bigfoot show.