The Largest Hammerhead Shark Ever Caught in North Carolina Was as Big as a Polar Bear

The planet is home to at least nine species of hammerhead sharks, however, some research suggests there may be more. Nearly all of them are under threat in some way, and several are in grave danger as a result of human activity. 

Although they have no natural predators, they may come under attack from orcas, dolphins, or larger sharks. They frequently stalk animals on the ocean floor while looking for fish, squid, stingrays, and seagrass.

The hammerhead shark has occasionally been observed using its head to physically hammer down victims. To weaken their prey and make them easier to devour, they employ the powerful impact of their skulls. 

Average Size of a Hammerhead Shark

Like many shark species, this one has a larger female than a male. At birth, most of these sharks are between 1 and 2 feet long. Adult female hammerheads typically measure 15 to 18 feet long, while adult males usually measure around 12 feet in length. 

Featuring tall, arched dorsal fins and a long, well-developed tail with prominent lobes, the body is sleek and broad. With a standard weight of 500 pounds, the great hammerhead shark is the biggest of the nine hammerhead types.  

Hammerhead sharks have a traditional appearance aside from their wildly unusual heads, which resemble an obvious tool in everyone’s toolbox. These sharks have incredibly good eyesight, and their eyes are on both sides of their heads.

Biggest Hammerhead Caught in North Carolina

Robert T. Keller captured the biggest hammerhead shark in North Carolina at Jeanette’s Pier, measuring 710 pounds! For context, an average male polar bear weighs between 700 and 1,800 pounds, so this catch was huge. He earned his spot in the record books with this hammerhead in 1961. More than 62 years later and no one has taken his spot at the top. 

A year later, Keller achieved another North Carolina record, catching a dusky shark that weighted 610 pounds also at Jennette’s Pier. This record set in 1962 also remains unbroken as of 2023.

Anglers of all skill levels can use Jeanette’s Pier, a 1,000-foot-long concrete saltwater fishing pier, throughout the year to target a wide variety of fish. Visitors are encouraged to check out the pier and occasionally marine creatures such as bottlenose dolphins or a rare whale spouting can put on a display for them.

Largest Hammerhead Caught in the World

The biggest hammerhead shark ever captured was nearly 15 feet long. Greg Norman, an Australian entrepreneur and retired professional golfer nicknamed “The Shark,” caught this behemoth in 2019 off the coast of Palm Beach, FL. The enormous hammerhead shark emerged and started circling the 80-pound blacktip shark Norman and his companion started bringing in when it appeared. 

The blacktip shark took a playful bite before the enormous hammerhead grabbed it by the line and swallowed it completely. Norman made the decision to attempt to nab the hammerhead. He reeled the shark against the side of their vessel after a 45-minute tussle, at which point it suddenly became apparent how enormous it truly was. 

They ultimately were successful in keeping the large shark in the water for a sufficient amount of time to measure it. Another one of the biggest hammerheads ever caught was in Florida, near Boca Granda.

A pregnant hammerhead shark weighed 1,280 pounds! We’re sure the 55 pups in her body definitely added to the scale. 

The photo featured at the top of this post is © Brent Barnes/Shutterstock.com