- Wildlife photographer Carlos Gauna captures on camera the moment a newborn great white shark is born off the coast of Santa Barbara, California.
- Gauna’s findings provide valuable information about the birthing process of great white sharks, a vulnerable species.
- Gauna hopes to continue researching and protecting sharks, aiming to capture the live birth moment again in the future.
Additional Coverage:
For the first time ever, an infant great white shark has been captured on camera shortly after it was born. Wildlife photographer and videographer Carlos Gauna documented the moment while filming sharks off the coast of Santa Barbara, California. Gauna, who has been observing sharks for three years, had noticed a gathering of large sharks in the area during a particular month. He suspected that the sharks may be giving birth, despite being told by scientists that it typically happens in deeper waters. He was able to capture images of a small, white shark that he believes to be a newborn.
Gauna and his partner, Phillip Sternes, a biology doctoral student, observed a large shark going underwater around 1,000 feet from shore, then saw a small shark emerge shortly after. The newborn shark was roughly 5 feet long and had a white film sloughing off its body. Some scientists believe it may be a skin condition, but Gauna thinks it was shedding intrauterine milk, a nutrition-rich secretion produced by white sharks for embryonic development. Gauna’s findings were published in the journal Environmental Biology of Fishes.
Capturing a live birth is rare and unpredictable, so Gauna’s discovery is significant for shark research. It provides valuable information about the birthing process of great whites, a species considered vulnerable on the Red List of Threatened Species. Gauna believes that further research and protection are needed for these apex predators. He wants to continue investigating the lives of sharks and hopes to capture the moment of birth again in the future.