United States of America. First recording of great white shark pups. The scientists were happy

However, the breakthrough came in July last year, when wildlife filmmakers Carlos Gaona and a doctoral candidate in biology at the University of California, Riverside Philip Stearns I managed to capture this amazing moment using a drone.

At the time, scientists were observing sharks hundreds of meters from the coast Santa Barbara in the United States of America. One individual immediately caught their attention. It was about 1.5 meters long, and was completely white in colour. The photo was taken in an area and time where sharks give birth, and a few days ago they noticed several larger sharks in the area – some of which may have been waiting for babies.

The video captured the moment when the white layer separated from the shark's tail. “Maybe it kind of is Uterine milk To feed baby sharks in the womb,” reported the journal Fish Environmental Biology.

The researchers pointed out in the study, “Given that white sharks produce milk from the uterus, there is a high probability that this or other fluid may have adhered to the shark immediately before its birth.”

However, it cannot be ruled out that the cub suffers from some skin diseases that scientists do not know about. It may also be a rare case of albinism. It is also difficult to determine the exact age of an individual.

“More research is needed to confirm that these waters are indeed prime habitat for white sharks,” he said. Philip Stearns In a comment on the article in “Environmental biology of fish”. “If this continues, we would like to see lawmakers step in and protect these waters to help great white sharks continue to thrive,” he added.

In an interview with CNN gavin naylor, Director and curator of the Florida Shark Research Program at the University of Florida Florida Museum of Natural HistoryHe said it's possible a newborn great white shark was seen, but the discovery is “highly speculative.”

– White sharks usually give birth to 8 to 12 babies at a time, so where are the rest? – Naylor's Wonders.

– This observation is extremely important It marks the beginning of scientists' understanding of the elusive reproductive cycles of this endangered species. Nicholas Ray, a researcher at Nottingham Trent University in the UK, said this could open the door to new discovery and highlight the need for greater protection in these areas.

greg skomal, A senior fisheries scientist at the Massachusetts Department of Marine Fisheries noted that scientists had previously assumed that… Great white sharks are born in the shallow coastal waters of this area, but this was never noticed. It cannot be ruled out that the shark, which has a great deal of movement, moved a long distance from its place of birth. Either way, it is This is a very interesting observation – pointed out.

great white shark (Carcharodon caracarias) It is often called the man-eating shark. It reaches an average length of 6 meters and weighs up to two tons. It lives mostly in warm ocean waters at various depths.

It feeds on large fish and sea turtles, and also hunts seals and dolphins. Sometimes he attacks people.

sources: “Environmental Biology of Fish,” CNN