A recently taken drone image by researchers in California may have successfully captured the first-ever visual of a newborn great white shark. The small, pure-white creature, approximately 5 feet long, was observed near Santa Barbara on California’s central coast last summer. While footage of larger, adult great white sharks is relatively common, this is the first documented sighting of a newborn shark in the wild. Carlos Gauna, a wildlife filmmaker, and Phillip Sternes, a biology doctoral student at the University of California, Riverside, were the individuals who caught sight of the rare animal. The drone footage, which caught the attention of the researchers, showed the shark shedding a white layer from its body as it swam, indicating that it could be a newborn white shark shedding its embryonic layer.
The researchers published their findings in the Environmental Biology of Fishes journal, where they discussed their observations and analysis of the footage. While acknowledging that the white film covering the shark could have been the result of a skin condition, they are confident that the creature was a newborn great white. Gauna, who had previously observed large pregnant great whites in the area, speculates that the newborn shark they observed emerged within the typical time frame for shark pup births, making it a highly significant discovery for shark science.
Having been involved in documenting sharks worldwide through popular YouTube videos, the duo behind the discovery received positive feedback from experts in the field, who have recognized the significance of their find.
