Great white shark filmed for first time in central Mediterranean

In a rare and remarkable event, an adult great white shark has been filmed in its natural habitat in the central Mediterranean Sea. Divers from the marine conservation organization Healthy Seas captured the footage while engaged in the recovery of lost fishing nets near a shipwreck situated between Sicily and Tunisia.

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The shark was quite close to us [...] and my fingers were even trembling as I tried to get the camera going.

This encounter marks the first known video recording of an adult great white shark in the wild in the Mediterranean. Derk Remmers, the diver who filmed the animal, described the experience as extraordinary, noting that encountering such a creature underwater is statistically less likely than winning a lottery jackpot. The sighting took place in the Strait of Sicily, an area known for its rich biodiversity but also for being heavily fished.

Marine biologists have reassured the public that the shark, believed to be an adult male, was sighted many kilometers offshore, far from beach areas. The footage provides crucial scientific data on the distribution and behavior of great white sharks, a species listed as endangered. Previously, most information about these sharks in the Mediterranean came from findings of dead animals or bycatch in fishing operations.

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The encounter underscores the ecological importance of the area and the need to curb threats such as lost fishing nets and overfishing.

Experts also point to the potential impact of climate change on the habitats of large shark species, suggesting that great white sharks might appear more frequently in European waters in the future. The Healthy Seas initiative, focused on removing 'ghost nets' that pose a deadly threat to marine life, highlighted the ecological significance of the sighting and the urgent need to address threats like lost fishing gear and overfishing.

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The observation provides important clues about the distribution and behavior of the endangered species.