A rare and unexpected sight was captured on camera in the frigid waters of Antarctica: a sleeper shark, estimated to be between 3 and 4 meters long, swimming into the spotlight of a video camera in January 2025. This discovery challenges the long-held belief that sharks don't exist in the Antarctic Ocean, which is defined as the region below 60 degrees south latitude. The camera, operated by the Minderoo-UWA Deep-Sea Research Centre, was positioned near the South Shetland Islands, deep within the Antarctic Ocean. The shark was found at a depth of 490 meters, where the water temperature was a near-freezing 1.27 degrees Celsius. This finding is significant because it suggests that sleeper sharks may be more common in the Antarctic than previously thought, and it highlights the potential impact of climate change on shark populations in the Southern Hemisphere. The camera, which can only operate during the Southern Hemisphere summer months, captured the shark maintaining a depth of around 500 meters along a seabed that slopes into much deeper water. This depth is the warmest layer of several water layers stacked upon each other to the surface. The discovery raises questions about the range and behavior of sharks in the Antarctic Ocean, and it underscores the importance of continued research in this region.
