MELBOURNE, Australia — Imagine a large shark gliding over a dark, empty ocean floor that’s way too deep for sunlight. This surprising sight was recently captured on video, revealing a sleeper shark in Antarctica, a region where many experts thought sharks didn’t go.
In January 2025, researcher Alan Jamieson recorded this impressive shark, measuring about 3 to 4 meters (10 to 13 feet). “We didn’t expect to see sharks in Antarctica,” Jamieson said. “And it’s not a small one—it’s a hefty creature.”
The shark was filmed by a camera from the Minderoo-UWA Deep-Sea Research Centre. This center focuses on exploring the ocean’s deepest places. The video was taken near the South Shetland Islands, part of the Antarctic Peninsula, well below the 60-degree south latitude, which defines the Antarctic Ocean.
At a staggering depth of 490 meters (1,608 feet), the water temperature hovered around 1.27 degrees Celsius (34.29 degrees Fahrenheit). A skate, a close relative of sharks, lay on the sea floor, unbothered by the shark passing by.
Interestingly, Jamieson found no records of any sharks in this part of the Antarctic Ocean before. Peter Kyne, a conservation biologist from Charles Darwin University, confirmed that this sighting is unprecedented.
Kyne speculated that climate change may be pushing sharks into colder waters. However, there’s limited data on shifts in marine life around Antarctica, partly due to how remote the region is. “The sleeper sharks might have been here all along without us noticing,” he added. “This footage is significant.”
The environment for these sharks is complex. The Antarctic Ocean is layered, with warmer water closer to 500 meters deep. This depth is where the shark was filmed, likely preying on carcasses of marine creatures that sink to the ocean floor, like whales and giant squids.
Interestingly, few research cameras explore such depths in Antarctica, mainly operating only during the Southern Hemisphere’s summer months, from December to February. “For the rest of the year, no one is watching,” Jamieson said. “That’s why we occasionally find these surprises.”
Bringing more insight into marine life, a recent study from NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) shows that warmer oceans are altering the habitats of many species, including sharks. This highlights the need for continued research to understand how climate change is affecting marine ecosystems worldwide.
In conclusion, this remarkable sighting sheds light on the unexpected resilience of marine life and raises questions about the impacts of climate change. It emphasizes the importance of understanding our oceans, especially as conditions change rapidly.
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Animals, Alan Jamieson, Fish, Sharks, Antarctic Ocean, General news, Send to Apple News, Science, Climate and environment, Peter Kyne, World news, Climate
