Science and facts

Scientists have filmed living goblin sharks in their natural deep-sea habitat for the first time. Two separate sightings were confirmed in the central Pacific. In 2024, a baited camera recorded one on the slope of the Tonga Trench at 6,552 feet (1,997 meters), nearly 2,300 feet deeper than previously known. The encounter lasted just over 20 seconds amid more than 50 days of continuous footage. A second shark was later identified in 2019 footage from near Jarvis Island, filmed at 4,058 feet (1,237 meters). Until now, live goblin sharks had only been seen after accidental capture, usually dying at the surface. These observations provide the first views of healthy individuals in their environment. Goblin sharks are living fossils, the sole survivors of a lineage about 125 million years old. Their pink bodies, elongated snouts, and rapidly extendable jaws set them apart from other sharks. The discoveries expand the species’ known geographic and depth range and highlight how little of the deep ocean has been observed. [Judah, M., et al. (2026). First in situ observations of living goblin sharks (Mitsukurina owstoni) in the deep Pacific. Journal of Fish Biology. DOI: 10.1111/jfb.70505] Science and facts💡