Surprise in the deep
A fisherman off the coast of Montenegro made an extremely rare catch in the Adriatic: a young great white shark. On Monday, the animal became entangled in the nets of Gojko Mitrovic about twelve kilometers from the coast and at a depth of 115 meters. Instead of keeping it, the fisherman released the marine predator – a decision that has delighted marine biologists.
The Institute of Marine Biology in Kotor confirmed the incident and posted a photo of the shark on Facebook. Great white sharks (Carcharodon carcharias) are native to the Mediterranean, but they are only rarely sighted in the Adriatic. The species is considered endangered.
Endangered population in the Mediterranean
The population of great white sharks in the Mediterranean is isolated and receives no new individuals from the Atlantic. This makes it particularly vulnerable – especially in light of intensive fishing and the loss of refuge areas. If their habitat continues to shrink, the species could disappear from this region, which would impact the entire ecosystem.
For comparison: in 2023, a young great white shark was last caught in Croatia, but it was sold to a fish restaurant. Great white sharks are the largest predatory fish on Earth and can grow over six meters long. They are found in many of the world’s oceans, but are most common off South Africa, Australia, in the western North Atlantic, and the eastern North Pacific.
Rare danger to humans
Attacks on humans are extremely rare in the Mediterranean. However, this year there was a tragic incident off the coast of Israel: a man was reportedly attacked by a shark. Videos from Chadera, about 50 kilometers north of Tel Aviv, show a shark in close proximity to a struggling person. Shortly afterward, human remains were found in the sea.
