Difficulty: Challenger (Level 2)
A video of a young shark coming to the ocean’s surface might not seem like a huge deal. However, it could be the first time the world has seen a newborn great white shark.
“No one has ever … seen a newborn baby shark alive,” said wildlife filmmaker and photographer Carlos Gauna, who captured the moment on camera.
Even though young great whites have been seen before, this one is special because the newborn could have been just hours old.
Last July, Gauna and biology student Phillip Sternes saw a pregnant great white shark off the coast of the US state of California. The shark dived deep into the water. Soon after, a smaller white shark emerged at the surface.
At first, they thought the little white shark was an albino. This is because great white sharks are grey on top and white only on their undersides. But then, the baby shark appeared to shed the white layer from its body as it swam around.
In the journal Environmental Biology of Fishes last month, Gauna and Sternes said they believed the white “skin” was intrauterine milk. This is a special layer of milk that baby sharks receive from their mothers to help them grow strong. They think that the milk comes off after the baby is born.
There could also be another reason: the 1.5-metre-long shark might have a skin condition.
Though some mysteries remain, the sighting was exciting because it could help scientists learn about where sharks have their babies. It could also help them make laws to protect these endangered animals.
