News

Aging the weird but wonderful Goblin Shark requires unconventional methods. Using a technique that involves staining sections of the spine, we now know that this deep-water shark matures at ~16 years and can live up to 60 years!

Its risky business being a shark in the Mediterranean. Over half of the sharks found in these waters face an increased risk of extinction. Low population numbers mean species are hard to detect through usual methods. Social media is becoming an increasingly valuable tool to collect and communicate important information. Helping conserve vulnerable species. From a study of 116 social media posts carried out in Greece, researchers found that over 60% of the posts referred to threatened species.

Parthenogenesis. It's a big word. But essentially means, animals producing offspring without mating. This concept may seem odd, even impossible. But it's been proved possible for a range of different species, including Zebra Sharks. This feature in National Geographic explains more.

A 410-million year old fossilized fish skull (made of bone) has been a real head scratcher for scientists. It's long been theorised that sharks, and their skeleton of cartilage, evolved before bony fish. But this discovery is making scientists rethink how these two groups of fish evolved.

Sir David Attenborough once again captured the attention of millions with his recent documentary. But this episode struck a different tone. ‘Extinction: The Facts’ does not hold back on hard-hitting truths on the declining state of our planet and its biodiversity. It sends home a strong message that we’re all connected, from humans to sharks to insects. And how we can all do our bit to help.

An unexpected sighting has led to the discovery of a suspected nursery ground for manta rays. Only the third ever found in the world. Over 59 manta rays have been identified between 2016-2019 in the coastal waters of South Florida. Most of them juveniles. Dubbed “urban mantas”, these rays are close neighbours to over six million people.

Researchers were treated to an incredible encounter when they captured drone footage of nine circling Basking Sharks off County Clare, Ireland. The Basking Shark’s behaviour was described as ‘methodical, orchestrated, as if they were doing synchronised swimming’. And has been linked to courtship. Giving scientists a rare glimpse into the little-known behaviour of the world’s second largest fish.

We always knew the Megalodon was well…mega! But before we only had an estimation of its length based off fossil teeth and mathematical comparisons to the White Shark. Now scientists have determined the size of different body parts of this prehistoric shark, including a dorsal fin that's as tall as a human!

Using comparisons to five species of shark still around today, scientists have been able to estimate the body dimensions of a 16m Megalodon. The head alone measures 4.65m. Mega indeed!

Groups of divers and snorkellers around Cornwall and Devon have had some amazing encounters with Blue Sharks in the last few weeks! We're fortunate that various migratory sharks, including Blues and Basking Sharks visit our waters during the warmer months.

To help ensure a safe encounter, check out our Basking Shark Code of Conduct. You can also click here to find out more about British Sharks on our website.