Divers led by the Healthy Seas Foundation recorded what is believed to be the first-ever underwater footage of an adult great white shark in the Mediterranean Sea, specifically in the Strait of Sicily, last week during a ghost net cleanup operation [1, 2, 3]. The video shows the large male shark accompanied by a dozen striped pilot fish as it navigated the waters [1].
The shark likely was attracted by dead marine life caught in abandoned fishing nets in the area, including multiple sea turtles, according to Pascal van Erp of Healthy Seas, who said, "The shark had likely been drawn to dead marine life entangled in the abandoned fishing net, including lots of sea turtles" [1].
This great white specimen is a male of the species Carcharodon carcharias, known to grow over 6 meters (20 feet) in length and weigh more than 2 tons [3]. Healthy Seas director Veronika Mikos highlighted the significance, stating, "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" [1].
Great white sharks are considered critically endangered in the Mediterranean, with local populations drastically reduced and sightings increasingly rare. Previous encounters have been occasional and unfilmed by divers underwater [1, 3]. Volunteer diver Derk Remmers who filmed the footage called it "an offshore underwater shark encounter in the Mediterranean is insane" [1].
The video released to the public on June 8 circulated widely in media reports. Al Jazeera published a feature on June 9 highlighting its viral spread [1, 2].
The footage offers valuable scientific data to better understand the distribution and behavior of this endangered species in the region [1, 3]. The conservation groups Healthy Seas Foundation and Ghost Diving organized the effort and underscore the importance of ongoing removal of ghost nets and marine debris threatening sea life [1, 3].
