Great White Shark Sighting Confirmed in Mediterranean Sea

Recent underwater footage captured by a volunteer diver has provided rare visual evidence of an adult Great White shark (*Carcharodon carcharias*) in the Mediterranean Sea. The encounter occurred this past spring when Derk Remmers, a diver with the NGO Healthy Seas, was working to remove ghost nets from the seafloor. The video, which has since circulated widely, shows the large predator near a shipwreck in the central Mediterranean.

Details of the Mediterranean Encounter

Derk Remmers reported the encounter to the BBC, confirming that his team observed the shark at close range while operating near a submerged wreck. Despite his initial difficulty in operating his camera due to the intensity of the moment, Remmers successfully captured the animal on film.

“The shark was there pretty close to the wreck—pretty close to us, in fact—and swam away, turned around, came back,” Remmers told the BBC. He noted that the shark appeared to be an adult, and the team identified it as a Great White based on its physical characteristics. Remmers emphasized that the sighting took place in an offshore location, well away from public beaches, and urged against viewing the footage as a cause for alarm or a justification for hunting the species.

Status of Great White Sharks in the Region

Marine biologists have long categorized the Great White shark as a species nearing extinction within the Mediterranean. Because the species is considered a keystone predator, conservationists often view documented sightings of healthy adults as a positive indicator for the region’s marine ecosystem. While the Mediterranean has historically served as a habitat for Great Whites, sightings have become increasingly infrequent over the last several decades.

Key Takeaways Regarding Mediterranean Shark Populations

This footage serves as a rare data point for marine scientists studying the distribution and recovery of large shark species in the Mediterranean.