ROV Footage Shows Two Live Goblin Sharks at Record Depths in Pacific

Remotely operated vehicles recorded two live goblin sharks at depths of 1,237 m and 1,997 m in the Pacific Ocean. One shark was recorded swimming at 1,237 metres near Jarvis Island in the Pacific Ocean in 2019. A second shark was filmed at 1,997 metres in the Tonga Trench in 2024.

The 2019 footage was initially considered insignificant and remained unexamined until a researcher reviewed it after the 2024 Tonga Trench sighting. Both records have now been published in the Journal of Fish Biology. The Independent reported that the creature is often called one of the ugliest on the planet.

The two observations mark the first time the species has been documented alive without being caught on fishing lines. Before these sightings, goblin sharks had only been observed alive after being hauled to the surface on fishing lines. The new records show the animals at depths more than 1,200 metres below the surface in two separate Pacific locations.