Diver Derk Remmers captured what is believed to be the first underwater video of an adult great white shark in the Mediterranean Sea [3].
The sighting is significant because great white sharks are close to extinction in the Mediterranean, making an encounter with an adult specimen extremely rare [1, 5].
Remmers was volunteering on a conservation mission to remove abandoned fishing nets from a shipwreck when the encounter occurred on May 13, 2026 [1, 4]. The event took place in the Strait of Sicily, located between Tunisia and Sicily [1, 2, 4].
According to Remmers, the 13-foot shark appeared unexpectedly during the dive [5]. He said the experience was a once-in-a-lifetime moment, noting that his hands were shaking during the encounter [2].
"Statistically, it is way more likely to win the lotto jackpot than to meet such an iconic animal underwater," Remmers said [1].
The footage, which was published on June 8, 2026, provides rare visual evidence of the species' presence in the region [1, 4]. Remmers said his fingers were trembling when the animal appeared [5].
“Statistically, it is way more likely to win the lotto jackpot than to meet such an iconic animal underwater.”
The appearance of an adult great white shark in the Strait of Sicily highlights the precarious state of the species in the Mediterranean. Because the population is nearing extinction in these waters, such sightings are critical for marine biologists to track migration patterns and the survival of the species in non-traditional habitats.
