The serene waters of the Mediterranean recently became the stage for a rare and remarkable encounter. Off the coast near the Porquerolles Islands in the Port-Cros National Park, a great white shark was sighted, sparking both excitement and concern among marine experts.
Captured on video by a sailor near Pointe du Sarranier in early November, the shark was identified as a juvenile great white, measuring approximately four meters in length. This sighting, confirmed by the National Museum of Natural History in Paris and the Groupe Phocéen d’Étude des Requins (GPER), is a significant event. Historically, there have only been about 40 confirmed sightings of this elusive predator in the Gulf of Lion since the 1600s.
The last recorded appearance dates back to 2002, when a nearly five-meter-long female was spotted in the Camargue. François Sarano, a noted oceanographer, shared his thoughts on the encounter, calling it a poignant reminder of the fragile state of the species in these waters. “It’s extraordinary to know they haven’t vanished completely from the Mediterranean,” Sarano remarked. “However, their scarcity highlights the dramatic decline of these once-abundant populations.”
While the Mediterranean is home to various marine species, the great white shark’s numbers have plummeted due to threats such as pollution, overfishing, and habitat degradation. Conservationists estimate that their populations have dwindled to just 10% of what they were five decades ago.
Earlier this year, OCEARCH, a non-profit dedicated to marine research, conducted a six-week expedition along the coasts of France, Spain, and Ireland to track sharks and analyze environmental DNA. Although no great whites were detected during the mission, the findings underscored their critical status as a critically endangered species on the European Red List.
This rare sighting serves as both a beacon of hope and a call to action. Protecting these apex predators is essential to maintaining the delicate balance of the Mediterranean’s ecosystem. Without immediate conservation efforts, these majestic creatures risk disappearing entirely from these historic waters.