- Researchers have captured what they believe to be the first-ever footage of a newborn great white shark, potentially making scientific history.
- This significant discovery was made by wildlife filmmaker Carlos Gauna and UC Riverside biology doctoral student Phillip Sternes off the coast of Santa Barbara, California.
- The footage shows a 5-foot-long white pup veiled in a “milky” white substance, shedding light on the mystery of great white shark birthing locations and emphasizing the need to protect these areas for a healthy marine ecosystem.
Additional Coverage:
- Researchers capture first-ever footage of newborn great white shark (abcnews.go.com)
Researchers have made a significant discovery in their study of great white sharks, as they believe they have captured the first-ever footage of a newborn shark. The footage, which was released in the Environmental Biology of Fishes journal, shows a 5-foot-long white pup, potentially making scientific history. The discovery was made by wildlife filmmaker Carlos Gauna and UC Riverside biology doctoral student Phillip Sternes, who were using drone cameras to scan the waters off Santa Barbara, California. They noticed the newborn shark veiled in a “milky” white substance.
Gauna had been filming the area in Santa Barbara, specifically because he had seen large adult sharks, possibly pregnant ones, in that location. He observed that the sharks appeared within a three to four-week window, leading him to spend hours observing them in the hopes of witnessing a newborn great white shark. After filming for several hours one day, Gauna and Sternes saw a large shark go down in the water, and when it resurfaced, they were astonished to see the beautiful, white pup.
Both Gauna and Sternes were overwhelmed with excitement at the sighting. Sternes stated that he fell out of his seat in astonishment and remarked it was like nothing he had seen before. Gauna confirmed Sternes’ reaction, saying he shed a tear and that the moment was truly incredible.
The birthing location of great white sharks has always been a mystery to researchers as live newborns had never been observed before. However, Sternes believes their findings in Santa Barbara could provide a piece to this puzzle. Research in the 1980s suggested that Santa Barbara could be a birthing location for great white sharks, and if the shark they observed was indeed a newborn, it would support this proposition. Sternes speculates that the milky white substance could potentially be the pup shedding its embryonic layer.
Gregory B. Skomal, a senior fisheries scientist, noted that if the milky white coating was a result of the shark recently being in the uterus, it would suggest the shark was born within hours. Skomal finds the observation fascinating and emphasizes the mystery surrounding the reproductive biology of white sharks.
Great white sharks are considered vulnerable worldwide and critically endangered in Europe according to the IUCN Red List. Sternes stressed the significance of protecting the waters where these sharks give birth, as they are critical to maintaining a healthy marine ecosystem. The loss of white sharks in other areas of the world has had cascading effects on the ecosystem, making their protection essential.
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- Researchers capture first-ever footage of newborn great white shark (abcnews.go.com)