Can sharks live in cold water? For the first time, a 4 meter long shark appeared in the sea of Antarctica, even scientists were surprised. First Shark Spotted in Antarctica Freezing Waters

By Samira Vishwas On Feb 18, 2026

First Shark Spotted in Antarctica Freezing Waters: Counted among the coldest and most inaccessible areas of the earth Antarctica For the first time a video of a shark has been recorded. In January 2025, scientists captured a 3–4 meter long ‘sleeper shark’ swimming in the icy waters of the Southern Ocean. This discovery is shocking because till now it was believed that sharks could not survive in such cold.

This rare sight was recorded at a depth of about 490 meters near the South Shetland Islands, near Antarctica. The water temperature there was around 1.27°C. That is, close to freezing… Alan Jameson, scientist of the research team, said that they shark We did not go with the expectation of seeing a shark, but a huge shark was seen on camera, which surprised everyone.

Were sharks already living in cold waters?

The video also showed a ‘skate’ fish on the seabed, which remained motionless as the shark passed by. Experts believe that this shark may have been living in these cold waters for a long time, but no one had recorded it till now.

Is climate change the reason?

According to scientists, due to climate change and rising ocean temperatures, sharks may be moving towards colder areas. However, there is not enough data regarding this yet. This discovery can completely change scientists’ understanding of Antarctica’s marine life.

How much do you know about sharks?

Sharks are counted among the oldest and most dangerous predatory fishes of the sea. They had arrived on Earth about 400 million years ago, even before the dinosaurs, and even today they are at the top of the ocean food chain.

What are the characteristics of shark?

Body of cartilage, not bones: The skeleton of sharks is made of soft cartilage (like our nose and ears) instead of bones, so they are light and fast swimmers.
Strong sense of smell: Sharks can smell even a drop of blood from a great distance in the water.
Teeth change frequently: Their teeth keep falling and new ones keep growing. A shark can replace thousands of teeth in its lifetime.
Extremely fast hunter: Some species can swim at speeds of more than 50 km/h.

How many species of sharks are there?

There are more than 500 species of sharks found in the world, some of which are:

Great White Shark – The most dangerous shark
Whale Shark – The world’s largest fish, but safe for humans
Hammerhead Shark – hammerhead shark
Sleeper Shark- Slow shark living in deep and cold water (the discovery in Antarctica is believed to be related to this)