During the late 1960s, nearly 15,000 barrels of nuclear waste were dumped in the canyon. The suspected giant shark was nicknamed “Sharkzilla.” Their effort paid off when an enormous female mako shark, measuring nearly 12 feet long, approached the boat. Scientists found no evidence that the giant mako had radioactive mutations or genetic abnormalities linked to nuclear waste. While “Sharkzilla” turned out not to be a nuclear mutant, scientists say the discovery highlights the return of exceptionally large and powerful predators to waters off the New York coast.