A meeting with A great white shark is undoubtedly an “exciting” experience, considered particularly rare in the waters of the Mediterranean Sea. The latest sighting, which attracted media attention and headlines around the world, took place during a dive in the Strait of Sicily carried out by volunteers from Ghost Diving and Healthy seasorganizations dedicated to the protection of marine ecosystems.
The encounter was documented by diver Derk Remmers, who said the BBC that he had difficulty turning on his camera because of the excitement. The images, the first ever recorded of a great white shark in its Mediterranean Sea habitat – shows a huge adult male specimen of Carcharodon carchariasa native species now considered critically endangered.
Carcharodon carchariascommonly known as the great white shark, belongs to the Lamnidae family and is one of the largest predatory fish in existence. It can exceed 6 meters (20 feet) in length and weigh more than 2 tonnes. It feeds primarily on fish, including rays and other sharks, although adult individuals may also prey on marine mammals such as seals and dolphins.
With an extremely keen sense of smell and excellent swimming abilities, the great white shark is considered one of the most efficient predators in the food chain. As such, it plays a crucial role in maintaining the balance of marine ecosystems by regulating the populations of its prey.
An endangered species
Found in temperate and subtropical waters of all the world’s oceans, the great white shark has also inhabited the Mediterranean Sea for millions of years. Today, however, its population has been significantly reduced and sightings have become increasingly rare. Despite its reputation, attacks on humans are very rare. And the species is increasingly threatened by human activities, including accidental capture during fishing operations, illegal fishing, habitat loss and the decline of its natural prey.
For this reason, Carcharodon carcharias is classified as vulnerable on the red list of the International Union for Conservation of Nature, while the Mediterranean population is considered the most precarious and classified as critically endangered.
A rare encounter
Each documented sighting of a great white shark in the Mediterranean therefore represents a valuable opportunity, as it provides useful information for scientific research and conservation strategies for the species in a sea where its presence is now extremely rare. At the same time, this latest meeting can be interpreted as an encouraging sign for marine biodiversity and a reminder of the importance of continuing and strengthening efforts to conserve marine ecosystems, considered among the most fragile in the world.
“Much of our knowledge about Mediterranean great white sharks comes from dead specimens caught during fishing operations,” explains Carlo Cattano, researcher at Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn. “Observations like this are extremely valuable in improving our understanding of the distribution, habits and behavior of this endangered species, whose survival is threatened by human activities. Our shark research has allowed us over time to identify several critical areas for threatened species, and this observation is particularly important for validating the conservation value of this area.”
This story was originally published on WIRED Italy and was translated from Italian.