Ocean cleanup volunteers working in Mediterranean waters between Italy and North Africa have recorded what marine experts believe represents the first underwater video of a fully grown great white shark in the central Mediterranean region.
The remarkable encounter happened while a cleanup crew organized by the Healthy Seas Foundation was pulling discarded fishing nets from a sunken vessel in the Strait of Sicily, an area known for rich marine biodiversity but heavily affected by commercial fishing operations.
The recording, captured last week and made public on Monday, reveals the massive predator swimming alongside approximately twelve striped pilot fish, which commonly follow large ocean hunters hoping to feed on scraps.
Volunteer diver Derk Remmers from Ghost Diving, a partner organization in the cleanup effort, filmed the shark encounter. “An offshore underwater shark encounter in the Mediterranean is insane,” Remmers stated.
Team member Pascal van Erp posted on Facebook that the shark was likely attracted to deceased sea creatures trapped in the discarded fishing equipment, including numerous sea turtles.
Though great white sharks have been spotted occasionally in Mediterranean waters, scientists don’t know how many exist in the region, and previous encounters haven’t been documented on film by underwater divers, according to the foundation.
“Moments like this remind us how much life can still exist in offshore Mediterranean waters and how important it is to protect it from preventable threats like abandoned fishing gear or overfishing,” stated Healthy Seas director Veronika Mikos.
Scientists involved in the mission believe the sighting could enhance knowledge about where these critically endangered sharks live and how they behave, though additional study will be needed before drawing wider conclusions.
