Overview
- Minderoo-UWA Deep-Sea Research Centre released footage of a shark recorded in January 2025 near the South Shetland Islands, within the Antarctic zone south of 60° S.
- The animal was identified as a large sleeper shark about 3–4 meters long swimming at roughly 490 meters in near-freezing water of around 1.27°C.
- Researchers say they can find no prior verified records of sharks documented this far south in the Antarctic Ocean.
- The shark occupied a relatively warmer stratified layer among stacked water masses, which scientists say likely explains its depth.
- Experts highlight that few deep cameras operate in Antarctic waters and most only run in the austral summer, leaving about 75% of the year unobserved.