NASA Zone F
During blogstonishing, I often get suggestions I’ve never heard of very specific urban legends, international cryptids, and even types of magic. But, the submission of NASA’s Zone F is quite a bit more recent than any of those and may be the silliest submission (in a good way) that I’ve had in some time. Researching this story and the mega-viral TikTok that sent it into the stratosphere reminds me of reading email chain urban legends from my youth. So, let’s dive into NASA…and why they may be hiding the existence of a megalodon.
Before we get started, you can watch the now-viral TikTok here. Please note AL is not associated with the creator of this TikTok and does not substantiate any of the claims made. While the video was taken in 2021, it didn’t appear to gain virality until Summer 2023 (another mystery: TikTok algorithms).
Before we dive too deeply into this story, let’s back up and talk about what a megalodon is! A megalodon is a prehistoric aquatic creature that was thought to be extinct millions of years ago. It was widely believed to be the largest shark in the world's history and dominated the oceans for 13 million years, until going extinct about 3.6 million years ago. It is believed it would be between 15-18 meters (which, for reference, is three times larger than the largest recorded great white shark). It is likely believed to be similar to the whale shark. It likely ate a LOT to keep moving, largely meat and larger prey. It largely lived in warm subtropical and tropical locations, however, the species was widely spread during its millions of years of existence and megalodon teeth have been found on every single continent, except Antarctica.
Enter: a video of a giant shark lurking around a research ship off the coast of Massachusetts has been causing a stir on social media. In this blog post, we'll dive deeper into this fascinating story and explore the connection between NASA Zone F and the hidden megalodon.
The footage was caught while aboard the SSV Corwith Cramer, a research vessel operated by the Sea Education Association (SEA). It was on a mission to conduct research in the open ocean when a shark was spotted lurking alongside it. A member of the team, Alex Albrecht, caught the moment on video and posted the now viral video TikTok. If you didn’t watch, the video shows the massive shark, which some claim could be a megalodon due to its size and shape, swimming slowly alongside the ship. You can hear students on boards shouting in awe as the shark disappears into the sea.
The sighting of the shark caused some concern, and NASA was contacted to investigate. Thankfully, it turned out that the shark was not a threat, and the satellite footage showed that the mysterious shadow in the water was actually a swarm of non-hazardous microbes. However, the sight of the massive shark and the speculation that it could be a megalodon has caused a wave of excitement and a renewed interest in the idea that these creatures could still be living in our oceans.
So what is the connection between NASA Zone F and the hidden megalodon? NASA has been exploring the ocean for many years and has discovered many mysteries hidden beneath the waves, especially via satellite. NASA Zone F, in particular, has been used to capture satellite images of the world's oceans and has been instrumental in discovering and tracking ocean phenomena. With its advanced technology, NASA has the potential to uncover secrets hidden deep beneath the surface of our oceans, including the possible existence of the megalodon.
But why is NASA hiding this from us? Why did they want to cover up the video? And what else have they seen that they’re not telling us?
There is no concrete evidence to support the idea that this massive shark still exists, or that NASA is covering it up. Until more evidence comes out, we can continue to marvel at the beauty and mystery of the ocean and appreciate the amazing creatures that call it home.
The blog feature image is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license. It depicts a reconstruction of the Carcharocles megalodon.
Thanks to Andy B for this blogstonishing suggestion!