Volunteer technical divers captured what is believed to be the first-ever underwater footage of an adult great white shark in the Mediterranean Sea.

The sighting provides rare visual evidence of the species in the region, offering scientists a glimpse into the movement and presence of apex predators in these waters.

A team led by the Healthy Seas Foundation recorded the encounter in the Strait of Sicily, located between Italy and Tunisia in the central Mediterranean [1, 2, 3]. The divers were not searching for sharks; they were engaged in an environmental cleanup operation to remove abandoned fishing nets, known as ghost nets, from a shipwreck [1, 5].

Reports said the footage was captured at a depth of more than 132 feet below sea level [4]. The encounter occurred while the team worked to mitigate the impact of marine debris on the local ecosystem.

While great white sharks are known to inhabit various oceans, documented sightings of adults in the Mediterranean are infrequent. This video serves as a significant record for marine biologists tracking the distribution of the species. The Healthy Seas Foundation focuses on removing ghost nets to protect marine life from entanglement and death [1, 5].

The footage shows the shark navigating the depths near the shipwreck where the divers were operating. Because the recording took place at such a significant depth, it highlights the shark's ability to inhabit deep-water environments within the central Mediterranean [4].

“The first-ever underwater footage of an adult great white shark in the Mediterranean Sea.”

This sighting underscores the importance of opportunistic data collection during environmental conservation efforts. By documenting an apex predator in the Strait of Sicily, researchers gain better insight into the Mediterranean's biodiversity and the potential migration patterns of great white sharks, while the removal of ghost nets reduces the risk of accidental mortality for such rare visitors.