Goblin shark filmed alive in natural habitat for first time

Researchers recorded a goblin shark alive in its natural habitat for the first time using a remote baited camera in the Tonga Trench of the South Pacific Ocean in 2024. The same footage also confirmed a second sighting captured in 2019 near Jarvis Island and the Palmyra Atoll in the central Pacific.

Depth and range records The Tonga Trench observation occurred nearly 700 meters deeper than any previously documented location for the species. The 2019 recording extended the known geographic range of the shark across thousands of miles of the central Pacific.

Species background The goblin shark averages about 12 feet in length, has a gelatinous body, oversized snout and razor-like teeth. It is the sole surviving member of a family lineage that dates back 125 million years.

“Seeing the most iconic of all the deep-sea sharks alive and looking healthy in its natural habitat is a unique honour.”