A newborn great white shark may have been photographed for the first time, according to a study published Tuesday, which could help improve protections for this endangered species.
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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 and published photos in the journal Environmental Biology of Fishes. “It’s the holy grail of shark research.”
AFP
Together with a doctoral student from the University of Riverside (California), Phillip Sternes, Carlos Gauna observed a pregnant female near the California coast, near the city of Santa Barbara, in early July 2023.
The female appeared to be diving deep before a small shark soon surfaced and looked directly into the lens of a drone camera.
AFP
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.
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.
“By knowing precisely the places where they give birth to their young, we can protect these areas from the negative effects of the presence of humans: fishing activities, habitat destruction, noise related to maritime traffic…” he said. AFP Heike Zidowitz, a WWF official in Germany who did not take part in the study.