BABY SHARK! DO DO DE DO DE DO!
These dead eyed, teeth filled wonders of the ocean are mysterious creatures! Great white sharks - silent doom beneath the oceans surface. We know so little about these mysterious creatures, especially how they give birth. In fact, we have never even seen a baby shark (I knew that song made no sense).....until now.....possibly.... read on for more information.
SCIENCE NEWS
Mark Prince and Mr. Crosby.
1/30/20242 min read
Great White Sharks! Jaws! Megladons (er....exctinct and different species) ...but any fish with big teeth scare us here at Science Geeks Central (located firmly inland away from bitey sea sharks)! But great whites are the ultimate sharks. These fearsome fish are well-known and well-studied, but there is still so much we don’t know about their love life and their offspring. How do they mate? Where do they give birth? How do they raise their young? These questions have baffled scientists for ages.
Until now? Recently, a filmmaker and a researcher may have caught a glimpse of a newborn great white shark in the wild (see photo below). They were flying a drone over the ocean, when they saw a small, pale shark swimming near the surface. It was about the size of a new born, and it had a thin, white film covering its body. They think it was the embryonic layer that the shark was shedding after birth. They also noticed that its fins were more rounded than usual, which is another sign of a shark embryo or new born.
They published their findings in a journal, and suggested that the area where they saw the shark could be a birthing ground for great whites. They also said that they saw adult sharks in the same area the day before, which could mean that they were mating or guarding their young. But they also admitted that their evidence was not conclusive, and that more research was needed to confirm their theory.
If they are right, it would be an amazing discovery that could reveal one of the ocean’s greatest secrets. It could also help us protect and conserve these magnificent animals, which are threatened by fishing, pollution, and climate change.
For all their scariness, Great white sharks are vitally important creatures that play a key role in the marine ecosystem. By learning more about their life cycle and behaviour, we can better appreciate and respect them, and ensure their survival for generations to come.
