8 Virtually Immortal Animals

For eons us humans have been obsessed with the quest for immortality, but turns out some animals cracked that code long before we were even mammals. Maybe these creatures will shed some light on one of the life’s biggest mysteries.

Here are 8 virtually immortal animals, and I bet some of them, I mean the actual specimens in the pictures, have seen the death of dinosaurs. That’s my head canon now!

1. Koi Fish — up to 225 years
I’d never have thought that Koi fish can live up to 225 years! Maybe it’s because the Japanese good-luck fish don’t have a stomach at all, just the good ol’ gut.

2. Tortoises and turtles – up to 255 years
This one’s pretty simple – the slower you go, the longer you live (theory requires more testing)! Here’s the kicker, there is almost no way you can tell a juvenile turtle from an old one, biologically speaking. It’s like being 17 your entire life.

3. Greenland Sharks – 200-500 years
All hail the longest living vertebrate – the Greenland shark! Averaging at 270 years, some specimens are believed to have lived for 450-500 years. Who knows maybe there’s a 1000 year old shark somewhere in the depths.