A goblin shark was captured on video in the ocean for the first time
Marine biologists were able to film a goblin shark in its natural habitat for the first time. Two encounters with this rare deep-sea creature helped scientists learn more about where it lives and at what depths it can be found.
The goblin shark is one of the most mysterious sharks in the world. It is easily recognizable by its long, flat snout and unusual jaws, which can extend sharply forward while hunting. Because of its unusual appearance, this shark is often called one of the strangest sea creatures. It is the only living member of its family, which has existed for about 125 million years.
Although this species was first described as far back as 1898, scientists still know very little about it. Goblin sharks typically live at great depths—about 900 meters below the water’s surface. Because of this, it is nearly impossible to spot them in the wild. Most known encounters with these sharks have been accidental—the animals got caught in fishing nets. Once brought to the surface, they usually die quickly, making it difficult for researchers to study their behavior.
New footage was captured during two scientific expeditions in 2024 and 2025. Researchers spotted one shark near Jarvis Island in the central Pacific Ocean, between Hawaii and the Cook Islands. Another was spotted near the slope of the Tonga Trench, not far from Fiji.
According to Aaron Judy, an oceanographer at the University of Hawaii and co-author of the study, such an encounter was a special moment for science. “To see the most famous of all deep-sea sharks alive, healthy, and in its natural habitat is a unique honor,” he said.
Scientists note that these observations provided important new data. In particular, the sighting near Jarvis Island expanded the known range of the goblin shark to the central Pacific Ocean. And a sighting in the Tonga Trench area showed that this shark can live even deeper than scientists had previously assumed. The animal was spotted nearly 700 meters below its typical depth.
Minderu Alan Jamison, a co-author of the study and founder of the University of Western Australia’s Center for Deep-Sea Research, said he did not expect to see such a shark alive. “The goblin shark is one of those charismatic deep-sea creatures that I thought we would never see alive. That in itself was incredible, but to then learn that colleagues in Hawaii had also spotted one was simply amazing,” he noted.
Scientists hope that these discoveries will help us better understand the goblin shark’s life—its movements, behavior, and role in the deep-sea ecosystems of the Pacific Ocean. Despite millions of years of existence, the goblin shark remains one of the least-studied creatures in the ocean. And every new encounter with it gives scientists a chance to unravel yet another mystery of the deep. The videos formed the basis of a new study published in the *Journal of Fish Biology*.
