A newborn great white shark has been photographed for the first time, say biologists, whose observations are the subject of an article published in the journal Environmental Biology of Fishes (New Window).
Young great white sharks have been spotted in the wild before, but experts say this may be the first time images have emerged of an individual born just hours ago.
No one has ever been able to locate its birthplace or see a living newborn, emphasizes photographer Carlos Gauna, who captured the moment. This is the holy grail of shark research.
In early July 2023, Carlos Gauna and doctoral student at the University of California at Riverside Phillip Sternes observed a pregnant woman near the California coast, near the city of Santa Barbara.
The female appeared to be diving deep before a small shark soon surfaced and looked directly into the lens of a drone camera.
Experts were puzzled by a thin white layer that surrounded the small shark and that it shed when swimming. They put forward two hypotheses: it could be milk that the mother secretes in the uterus to nourish her, or it could be a skin disease.
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The great white shark has shed a white outer layer.
Photo: University of California, Riverside/Carlos Gauna
In any case, researchers must now confirm that they have identified a birthplace in the hope of promoting the protection of this species, classified as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
In fact, sharks are often collateral victims of fishing or killing campaigns to protect beaches, while attacks on humans are rare.
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This photo, taken in 2020 off the coast of Liverpool, Nova Scotia, is one of the first underwater photos of an adult great white shark taken by a diver in Canadian waters.
Photo: Courtesy of Chris Harvey-Clark
By knowing precisely the places where they go to give birth, we can protect these areas from the negative effects of the presence of humans: fishing activities, habitat destruction, noise related to maritime traffic, etc., Heike told AFP Zidowitz, an official from the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) in Germany who was not involved in the study.