In a historic breakthrough, researchers have unveiled what is believed to be the world’s first-ever footage of a newborn great white shark, shedding light on the mysterious realm of one of the ocean’s most formidable predators.
Released in the Environmental Biology of Fishes journal on Monday, the footage captures a 5-foot-long, white pup, potentially making scientific history. Wildlife filmmaker Carlos Gauna and UC Riverside biology doctoral student Phillip Sternes stumbled upon this extraordinary find in July 2023 while using drone cameras to survey the waters off Santa Barbara on California’s central coast.
Gauna, driven by a hunch and a goal to witness a newborn great white shark, meticulously observed the area known for the presence of large adult sharks, possibly pregnant. The perseverance paid off as they witnessed a breathtaking moment – the emergence of a newborn great white shark, cloaked in a “milky” white substance.
Describing the experience, Sternes expressed his excitement, stating, “I fell out of my seat in excitement as it was unlike anything I had ever seen before.” Gauna confirmed Sternes’ reaction, adding, “He did, he literally fell out of his chair. I think he shed a tear. I was focused on flying, but it was really an incredible moment.”
The birthing grounds of great white sharks have long perplexed researchers, as wild, newborn great whites had never been observed alive. Sternes believes the milky white substance surrounding the newborn shark could be the pup shedding its embryonic layer.
Tobey Curtis, a shark scientist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, highlighted the significance of this discovery, stating, “Where white sharks actually give birth to their pups remains one of the ocean’s great mysteries.” Sternes added, “Research in the 80s suggested this could be a birthing location. If what we saw was a newborn, then it supports that proposition.”
Gregory B. Skomal, Ph.D., senior fisheries scientist, emphasized the importance of learning about white shark reproductive biology, stating, “Every little bit we learn about these animals is quite fascinating.”
With great white sharks listed as “vulnerable” worldwide and “critically endangered” in Europe, Sternes stressed the need for lawmakers to protect the waters where these sharks give birth, as their presence plays a vital role in maintaining a healthy marine ecosystem.
