- Scientists filmed a healthy goblin shark swimming freely in its natural habitat for the first time
- Two encounters in the Central Pacific were recorded, expanding knowledge of the elusive species
- The first sighting was in 2019 near Jarvis Island at 1,237 meters depth by a remote vehicle camera
Scientists have captured the first-ever footage of a healthy goblin shark (Mitsukurina owstoni) swimming freely in its natural deep-ocean habitat, marking a landmark moment in marine biology. The discovery, published in the Journal of Fish Biology by researchers from the University of Hawaii and the University of Western Australia, documents two separate encounters in the Central Pacific that are reshaping scientific understanding of the elusive species. Until now, goblin sharks had only been observed alive after being accidentally caught on fishing lines and brought to the surface, where they typically died quickly.
Often compared to the colossal squid for its near-mythical status, the goblin shark is one of the ocean's most mysterious predators. "They were almost never seen alive," said Professor Alan Jamieson, director of the Minderoo-UWA Deep-Sea Research Centre. "Previously, the only encounters came when they were accidentally hooked on fishing lines."
The first sighting occurred in 2019 near Jarvis Island at a depth of 1,237 metres. The shark was filmed by a camera mounted on the remotely operated vehicle Hercules during an Ocean Exploration Trust expedition aboard the M/V Nautilus. However, researchers did not realise the significance of the footage until years later, when study author Aaron Judah revisited the recording with colleagues at the Deep-Sea Animal Research Center.
A second encounter took place in 2024 in the Tonga Trench, one of the deepest regions of the Pacific Ocean. Captured using a remote baited camera system, the sighting extended the known depth range of goblin sharks by nearly 700 metres and set a new depth record for the species.
"Seeing the most iconic of all the deep-sea sharks alive and looking healthy in its natural habitat is a unique honour," said Aaron Judah, a researcher at the Department of Oceanography at the University of Hawaii, in a statement regarding the two discoveries.
"I was also very surprised about how deep this species was found. The observation from the slope of the Tonga Trench is nearly 700 meters deeper than this species was known to live."
Together, the two observations provide the first confirmed evidence of goblin sharks living across a vast stretch of the Central Pacific. While the Jarvis Island footage dramatically expanded the species' known geographic range, the Tonga Trench encounter pushed the limits of its known habitat and became the deepest-recorded observation of any lamniform, or mackerel shark - a group that includes great white and mako sharks.
Known for its protruding snout, needle-like teeth, and soft, almost gelatinous body, the goblin shark can grow to around 12 feet (3.6 metres) in length. It is considered a "living fossil," representing the last surviving member of a lineage that dates back approximately 125 million years.
