Divers have taken underwater photos of a great white shark in the Mediterranean for the first time.
June 10, 2026, 11:29 amJune 10, 2026, 11:29 am
While the Healthy Seas Foundation was trying to remove abandoned fishing nets from a shipwreck, diver Derk Remmers managed to capture footage of a great white shark in its natural habitat. The team was offshore in the Strait of Sicily. While rare surface sightings occur occasionally in the region, underwater encounters filmed by divers have never been documented before.
“Statistically speaking, it is far more likely to win the jackpot in the lottery than to encounter such an iconic animal underwater,” says diver Remmers.
The location where the team traveled is an important biodiversity hotspot. Shipwrecks in open waters can act as artificial reefs and attract a rich variety of marine species. However, it is also one of the most intensively fished areas in the Mediterranean. Turtles, large fish and other species regularly get caught in so-called ghost nets and therefore die.
In addition to the cleanup operation, the mission also included environmental DNA (eDNA) sampling and underwater monitoring activities to improve the understanding of species present in the area. Further analysis will continue in the coming months. (emm)
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