A Deep-Sea Goblin Shark Has Just Been Spotted in Its Natural Habitat for the First Time

Researchers are celebrating a major milestone after spotting a goblin shark in their natural habitat. The shark was captured on video, allowing researchers to see one alive for the first time.

And it wasn't the only time it happened, either. According to a new report, they were spotted in two separate locations, marking the first and second time that researchers have been able to lay eyes on one of these exciting creatures in while they were still alive.

Typically, they are only seen once they are already deceased, and they've washed up on shore.

And apparently, one of the deep-sea goblin shark sightings may have taken place by accident, since it sounds like the shark was spotted way back in 2019 while a submersible was thousands of feet underwater, and researchers were able to go back and review the video footage to confirm that the shark was indeed a goblin shark. Here's what we know.

According to a study published in the Journal of Fish Biology, two goblin sharks have been spotted on camera. The first sighting appears to have taken place in 2019, when the Ocean Exploration Trust expedition on the M/V Nautilus was deep under the water of the Pacific Ocean, in a very remote area near the Palmyra Atoll and Jarvis Islands.

The underwater ship was filming at the time, and when the footage was reviewed, they believed they had spotted something extraordinary.

Researchers later reviewed the footage from 2019, and confirmed that it was indeed a goblin shark.

The second sighting came in 2024 when researchers were exploring the Tonga Trench in the Pacific Ocean. They had set up a remote camera with some bait, and were rewarded when a goblin shark came on by. Live goblin shark sightings are so rare because of the depths at which the sharks live. In fact, the Tonga Trench is the second deepest point on Earth, highlighting how far down they swim.

As you can see, these sharks live deep, deep, deep below the ocean's surface. National Geographic Kids says that they are typically found in the areas along continental shelves, near the bottom of the ocean's floor. They are pink and can reach up to 460 pounds, and grow as long as 12 feet.

However, it's their snouts that make them so recognizable, since their noses are elongated, and seem to act as a cover for their razor-sharp teeth. In fact, it's their faces that earned them the "goblin" name.

That's because they closely resemble the mythical goblins that are found in the folklore of Japan, near where the goblin sharks call home.

Unfortunately, not much else is known about them because of their deep-sea habitats, but experts believe that these animals are solitary and, like many other shark species, are most active in the early morning or evenings. However, unlike most sharks, this species are known to be quite slow movers.