As of: January 30, 2024, 8:00 p.m
By: Sophie Kluß
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An American YouTuber believes he has filmed the world's first great white shark baby.
But the experts are undecided about his observation.
The YouTuber Carlos Gauna,
also known as The Malibu Artist on
and
YouTube , had already filmed the supposed baby shark on July 9, 2023 off the California coast near Santa Barbara.
But only now, with the publication of the corresponding research report in the scientific journal
Environmental Biology of Fishes
, is Gauna receiving global attention.
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Footage shows “most likely a newborn shark”
Under his
YouTube
video, Gauna writes: “I believe that the images in this video most likely show a newborn shark.
Although it is almost impossible to determine the exact age of the shark, there are some key observations that suggest it is a newborn." According to an
post by Gauna, the fish "could very well be the shark the youngest white shark ever recorded alive,” said @themalibuartist among the three photos that show the animal up close.
Scientists disagree: what speaks in favor of Gauna's assumption and what speaks against it
But as
BBC
and
t-online
report, the sensational find is still controversial.
While some scientists identify the fish in the photo as the newborn of a great white shark, others are undecided.
The reason for this is an observation Gauna
reported to
the BBC .
Accordingly, the fish was completely white, but its white layer seemed to be peeling off.
Why aren't great white sharks actually white?
According to
Planet Wissen,
the term “great white shark” is not entirely accurate.
Although the underside of the predators is almost white, the back is more blue-gray.
This serves the purpose of hunting prey: for seals swimming on the surface, for example, great white sharks are difficult to recognize.
YouTuber Carlos Gauna believes he has captured the newborn great white shark on camera for the first time.
But a lot is still unexplored about predatory fish, for example how birth occurs.
So far, researchers have not been able to observe it.
© The Malibu Artist/EurekAlert/Carlos Gauna/dpa
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Biologist and shark researcher Phillip Sternes from the University of California Riverside was also there on the day of the discovery.
He also told
the BBC
that he suspected the animal could be a newborn great white shark.
The main reason for this is the unusually round shape of the fins.
This corresponds to a typical feature of shark embryos and newborn animals.
The observed white layer is also common in newly born sharks.
A grinning shark, on the other hand, enchants on
TikTok
.
Carlos Gauna, The Malibu Artist
Carlos Gauna publishes spectacular drone aerial photos of great white sharks
on
YouTube .
Many of the videos have been viewed millions of times and often show dangerous encounters between great white sharks and humans.
“It increases my heart rate sometimes.
“I haven’t seen a shark become aggressive or show aggressive behavior near a human, but that’s just human instinct,” says Gauna
about his work, according to
t-online .
The YouTuber's new goal is to be the first to film a shark birth.
“Filming the actual birth is the holy grail of shark research.
What I filmed is just a clue that brings us closer to this goal,” said Gauna, according to
Bild
.
Another researcher, James Worthington of the University of San Diego, helped size the shark - and came up with a length of about 1.5 meters, which is the usual size of a newborn great white shark.
For comparison: According to the environmental organization WWF
, the largest white shark ever caught was
6.4 meters long and weighed 3.2 tons.
However, other marine biologists warn against hasty conclusions.
Dr.
Chris Lowe from the California State University Shark Laboratory told the
BBC
that there are other explanations for the white layer, such as the animal having a skin disease.
More evidence is needed to reach a clear conclusion.
To describe the recording location in Southern California as a nursery for great white sharks is therefore no more than a guess.