Scientists from the Deep-Sea Minderoo-UWA Research Centre have made a historic discovery by recording the presence of a shark in the icy waters of Antarctica. At a depth of 490 meters below the ocean surface, near the Antarctic Peninsula, a camera captured a four-meter-long specimen of the Somniosus antarcticus species. This extraordinary event challenges previous beliefs held by researchers that the extremely low temperatures of these waters prevented the existence of such large predators.

Historic Observation

For the first time in history, the presence of a shark has been recorded within the Antarctic Ocean at a depth of nearly 500 meters.

Species Somniosus antarcticus

The identified specimen is a southern sleeper shark, reaching a length of 4 meters, which has adapted to extreme conditions.

Deep-Sea Technology

The discovery was made possible by specialized cameras from the Minderoo-UWA Centre placed off the coast of the South Shetland Islands.

In the icy depths of the Antarctic Ocean, an event has occurred that completely changes the current understanding of this region's ecosystem. A research team from the Minderoo-UWA Deep-Sea centre filmed a four-meter-long southern sleeper shark. The animal swam lazily past the lens of a camera placed at a depth of 490 meters near the South Shetland Islands. This is the first documented presence of a shark at such high southern latitudes in history, which has astonished the scientific world. For decades, the scientific community considered Antarctic waters too cold for cartilaginous fish due to their specific metabolism and the presence of sea ice.This recording is the result of an expedition that was investigating the seabed using advanced video systems. This observation suggests these predators may venture much further south than previously assumed, which could be linked to changes in water temperature or food availability. Experts note that the fish moved in a manner typical of its 'sleeper' species – very slow and energy-efficient. This discovery raises questions about the food chain structure in Antarctica and whether other large species might also inhabit these inhospitable regions. This research is part of a broader project mapping oceanic biodiversity in places almost inaccessible to humans. 4 meters — length of the shark observed in AntarcticaFurthermore, the technology used by the scientists allowed for image recording in near-total darkness, shedding new light on the benthic fauna around the Antarctic Peninsula. Although sleeper sharks are known from other regions, such as the waters around New Zealand or South Africa, this specific observation shifts the known boundary of their range thousands of kilometers to the south. The research community now awaits further analyses to determine whether this was an isolated case or a permanent migration of the species. The first systematic studies of Antarctic fauna began at the end of the 19th century, but the lack of advanced underwater cameras prevented deep-sea observation.„This recording is proof of how little we still know about the deepest and coldest corners of our planet.” — Minderoo-UWA Expert