First Ever Video of Newborn Great White Shark Captured… Maybe
Researchers at UC Riverside captured the first-ever footage of a newborn great white shark, challenging long-standing mysteries of their birthing habits. If confirmed, this discovery could have significant implications for the conservation of this endangered species.
By Beth Snider · February 1, 2024
Researchers at the University of California, Riverside claim to have captured the first-ever footage of a newborn great white shark in the wild. The momentous discovery was made by wildlife filmmaker Carlos Gauna and UC Riverside biology doctoral student Phillip Sternes during a routine exploration off the coast of California near Santa Barbara.
The footage reveals a 5-foot-long shark pup entirely white in color, a stark contrast to the gray and white coloring of adult great whites. Gauna and Sternes examined the footage, revealing the pup shedding a white layer from its body as it swam.
"We enlarged the images, put them in slow motion, and realized the white layer was being shed from the body as it was swimming. I believe it was a newborn white shark shedding its embryonic layer."
This remarkable observation challenges the longstanding mystery surrounding the birthing habits of great white sharks. Gauna, known as The Malibu Artist, explained the significance of the find, stating, “Where white sharks give birth is one of the holy grails of shark science. No-one has ever been able to pinpoint where they are born, nor has anyone seen a newborn baby shark alive.”

The researchers acknowledged the possibility that the shark may have been shedding due to a skin condition, but they argue that no such condition has been reported for great whites. The evidence supporting the newborn hypothesis includes the shark’s size, shape, and the shedding process observed.
Sternes pointed out, “In my opinion, this one was likely hours, maybe one day old at most.” The researchers also noted the presence of large, presumably pregnant great whites in the area in the days leading up to the observation, further supporting the hypothesis of a birthing location.
The findings, published in the Environmental Biology of Fishes journal, have been met with excitement and cautious optimism by the scientific community. Gavin Naylor, director of the Florida Program for Shark Research, expressed some skepticism, calling the discovery “highly speculative,” while other experts see it as a potential breakthrough in understanding the elusive reproductive cycles of this endangered species.
The coastal region near Santa Barbara is now under scrutiny, with researchers calling for further investigations to confirm whether it is indeed a great white breeding ground. If verified, the discovery could have significant implications for the conservation of these endangered predators, prompting calls for protective measures to ensure the thriving of great white shark populations.