It was found in the Burias Pass, located between the Albay and Masbate provinces of central Philippines. Less than 70 megamouth sharks have ever been spotted, according to marine biologist Christopher Bird and Marine Wildlife Watch of the Philippines.
The 15-foot male was dead when it was discovered. The cause of death is unknown. Very little is known about the megamouth shark, an extremely rare species of deepwater shark that was only first discovered in 1976. Most wash up on the coasts of the Philippines, Japan and Taiwan.
These animals can grow to be around 17 feet long and apparently they don't taste too bad. The last one discovered, according to Marine Wildlife Watch, was eaten by the people who found it.
Source:http://www.nbcnews.com/science/environment/rare-megamouth-shark-washes-philippines-n295491
The megamouth shark (Megachasma pelagios) is an extremely rare species of deepwater shark, and the smallest of the three planktivorous sharks, besides the whale shark and basking shark. Since its discovery in 1976, few megamouth sharks have been seen, with 60 specimens known to have been caught or sighted as of January 2015, including three recordings on film. Like the other two filter-feeders, it swims with its enormous mouth wide open, filtering water for plankton and jellyfish. It is distinctive for its large head with rubbery lips. It is so unlike any other type of shark that it is usually considered to be the sole extant species in the distinct family Megachasmidae, though suggestion has been made that it may belong in the family Cetorhinidae, of which the basking shark is currently the sole extant member.[2] In addition to the living M. pelagios, however, two extinct megamouth species – the Cretaceous M. comanchensis and the Oligocene–Miocene M. applegatei – have also recently been proposed on the basis of fossilised tooth remains.[
Source:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Megamouth_shark
