First-ever Footage of Live Goblin Shark in Deep Sea Habitat
WHO:
ABC News - Aaron Judah, a PhD candidate at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, is the lead author of the study.
CBS News - Alan Jamieson, the founding director at Minderoo-UWA Deep-Sea Research Center, commented on the sightings.
ABC News - Steve Auscavitch, a PhD scientist at the Department of Invertebrate Zoology at the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of Natural History, was on board the research vessel during the first sighting.
WHAT:
[10:18 AM EDT] - CBS News - The goblin shark is known to grow to about 12 feet long on average and has a pink, squishy body with a large nose hiding razor-sharp teeth.
[10:18 AM EDT] - CBS News - The observation from the slope of the Tonga Trench is nearly 700 meters deeper than previously known for this species.
[10:18 AM EDT] - CBS News - The discoveries in 2019 and 2024 helped scientists learn more about the goblin shark's natural habitat and expanded its geographic range considerably.
ABC News - Scientists captured and confirmed footage of the goblin shark in the wild for the first time.
ABC News - The goblin shark, or Mitsukurina owstoni, is known for its unique jaws and enormous rostrum.
CBS News - The study published in the Journal of Fish Biology details two observations of the goblin shark on camera.
ABC News - The goblin shark has been recorded in the wild in two separate sightings.
CBS News - The 2019 sighting was the first time the goblin shark was seen on camera, and the 2024 sighting extended the known depth of the species by 108 meters.
WHERE:
ABC News - The first sighting occurred near Jarvis Island, an uninhabited 1.7-square-mile coral island in the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument.
CBS News - The second sighting took place along the slope of the Tonga Trench, about 1,250 miles southwest of Jarvis Island.
WHEN:
ABC News - The first sighting was in 2019, and the second sighting occurred in 2024.
CBS News - The study detailing the sightings was released in June 2026.
WHY:
[10:18 AM EDT] - CBS News - The newly-expanded geographic range of the goblin shark allows it to be included in regional management and biodiversity lists, which was not possible before the sightings.
ABC News - The discoveries help scientists learn more about the goblin shark's natural habitat and geographic range.
CBS News - The expanded geographic range allows the goblin shark to be included in regional management and biodiversity lists.
HOW:
ABC News - The first sighting was captured using a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) video from the EV Nautilus.
CBS News - The second sighting utilized a remote, baited camera during exploration of the Tonga Trench.
(UPDATED June 13, 2026 08:07 UTC)
Scientists have made significant discoveries about the goblin shark, a unique species that can grow to about 12 feet long and features a pink, squishy body with a large nose and razor-sharp teeth. Recent observations from the Tonga Trench reveal that this species was found nearly 700 meters deeper than previously recorded, expanding its geographic range considerably. This newfound range allows the goblin shark to be included in regional management and biodiversity lists, enhancing efforts to protect this fascinating creature.
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(UPDATED June 12, 2026 23:27 UTC)
Scientists have captured and confirmed footage of the goblin shark in the wild for the first time, with two separate sightings documented in a study published in the Journal of Fish Biology. The first sighting occurred near Jarvis Island in 2019, followed by a second sighting in 2024 along the slope of the Tonga Trench, which extended the known depth of the species by 108 meters. Lead author Aaron Judah from the University of Hawaii at Manoa, along with experts like Alan Jamieson and Steve Auscavitch, contributed to the findings that enhance our understanding of the goblin shark's habitat and geographic range.