Great white sharks may be breeding again in the Mediterranean, scientists believe, in an announcement doubtless to spook British vacationers who flock there every summer time. The revelation comes after a juvenile shark, measuring around 210cm and weighing 80–90kg, was by chance caught off Spain’s japanese coast on April 20, 2023.
The uncommon discover prompted researchers to study historic data from 1862 to 2023, with their outcomes not too long ago printed in the open-access journal Acta Ichthyologica et Piscatoria. Once made notorious by Steven Spielberg’s Jaws, the species was thought to have vanished from the Mediterranean, aside from occasional guests from other seas.
Despite their fearsome repute, Great Whites are usually unfairly maligned, struggling from a “villain” narrative that does not match actuality. While headlines usually lean into sensationalism, the statistical chance of a shark encounter is terribly low.
In reality, you are considerably more doubtless to be struck by lightning or injured by a family equipment than to be bitten by a shark. Worldwide, unprovoked attacks have hit historic lows—with only 47 recorded globally in 2024—and in the Mediterranean particularly, there have been fewer than 40 recorded attacks in the last 150 years.
These apex predators do not hunt people; rather, most incidents are circumstances of mistaken identification in murky waters. Far from being monsters, they are shy, elusive, and more and more threatened residents of our oceans.
Dr Jose Carlos Báez, examine lead, said: “Detecting juvenile sharks is particularly important. The presence of young individuals raises the question of whether active breeding may be occurring here.”
The review suggests that while the Mediterranean great white stays a “ghost” population, it has not completely disappeared. The species is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, with numbers persevering with to decline.
Researchers warning, however, that sightings stay extraordinarily uncommon, underscoring the shark’s shortage in the area.
Scientists stress that long-term monitoring is very important to understanding Mediterranean great whites. They say combining occasional sightings with fashionable monitoring could support efficient conservation methods.
Dr Báez concludes: “These large predators play a crucial role in marine ecosystems. Highly migratory, they redistribute energy and nutrients, scavenge carrion to keep seas clean, and even in death provide nourishment for deep-sea communities.”
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