A confirmed sighting of a great white shark near the Porquerolles Islands in the Port-Cros National Park has sparked excitement among scientists. The species is a rare find in the Mediterranean, with only 40 documented sightings in the last four centuries.
In early November, a sailor cruising the waters near Pointe du Sarranier in the Port-Cros National Park noticed a fin breaking through the waves and quickly took out their phone to video the incredible scene. It was a great white shark, likely a juvenile measuring around four metres.
The sighting, which has since been confirmed by the National Museum of Natural History (MNHN) in Paris and the Groupe Phocéen d’Étude des Requins (GPER), is extraordinarily rare. According to GPER, only around 40 documented sightings have been recorded in the Gulf of Lion since the 1600s.
The most recent sighting before that of Pointe du Sarranier occurred in 2002, when a nearly five-metre-long female was observed in the Camargue. Nevertheless, scientists estimate that populations in the Mediterranean are at just 10% of what they once were.
In an interview with Radio France, François Sarano, a doctor in oceanography, said of the sighting, “It’s quite extraordinary. It is both moving to see that they have not completely disappeared from this Mediterranean, where they were once very abundant. And then, if we are making such a big deal of it, it’s because there are very few of them. Unfortunately, this will not bring back to the sea the extremely large population that existed in the Mediterranean just 50 years ago.”
Earlier this year, the non-profit organization OCEARCH launched a six-week expedition to find and track sharks along the coasts of France, Spain and Ireland. The mission aimed to gather data and collect environmental DNA (eDNA) samples from the waters. Although only five blue sharks were studied during the expedition, the absence of great whites provided equally critical insights.
The species is listed as critically endangered on the European Red List of Threatened Species. Threats include pollution, overfishing and habitat destruction.
The recent sighting off Pointe du Sarranier is a reminder of the delicate balance within the Mediterranean ecosystem. While it inspires hope and curiosity, it also emphasises the urgent need for action to protect these iconic apex predators before it is too late.
A video of the sighting that has been shared on social media can be viewed below:
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Photo credit: Oleksandr Sushko, Unsplash