An unusual sight unfolded as a robust sleeper shark, resembling an ungainly barrel, moved slowly across a desolate seabed in the dark depths of Antarctica, far beyond the reach of sunlight. This surprising encounter challenged the belief held by many experts that sharks did not inhabit the frigid Antarctic waters. Filmed in January 2025, the shark, estimated to be between three to four meters in length, caught the attention of researcher Alan Jamieson.
Venturing into the South Shetland Islands near the Antarctic Peninsula, the Minderoo-UWA Deep-Sea Research Centre deployed a camera to explore the mysterious marine life in the Antarctic Ocean. The footage captured a skate, a shark relative resembling a stingray, unperturbed by the passing shark. The encounter took place 490 meters below the surface, where the water temperature hovered just above freezing at 1.27 degrees Celsius.
Jamieson, the center’s founding director, expressed surprise at the discovery, noting the scarcity of documented shark sightings in the Antarctic Ocean. Peter Kyne, an independent conservation biologist, echoed this sentiment, emphasizing the potential impact of climate change on the movement of sharks towards colder waters in the Southern Hemisphere.
The sleeper shark’s presence at a depth of approximately 500 meters highlighted its strategic positioning within the ocean layers. These layers, extending to around 1,000 meters, create a complex environment where marine creatures thrive on the remains of deceased whales and squids that sink to the ocean floor. With limited research cameras operating at this depth in Antarctica, such discoveries are rare and reveal the hidden world beneath the icy surface.
As researchers continue to unravel the mysteries of Antarctica’s marine ecosystems, the recent sighting of the sleeper shark serves as a poignant reminder of the region’s untapped biodiversity. This significant finding underscores the importance of ongoing exploration to understand and protect the fragile ecosystems of the Antarctic Ocean.
