Student Diver Encounters Rare Deep-Sea Shark Off California Coast
A student diver recently had a startling encounter with a very rare deep-sea shark near La Jolla, California.
In hazy footage, a spiny shark appears unexpectedly from the ocean’s depths during a dive session last week. The sighting took place off the coast, close to San Diego.
The video reveals one of the dive leaders recoiling in surprise as the large fin surfaced just in front of them on the ocean floor.
As divers shone their torches into the water, the roughly seven-foot creature turned sharply and swam away.
Liam Doherty, a recreational diver who recorded the encounter, shared his experience: “I was scared. I was scared of sharks.”
Kari Lingle, a diver from the University of California, San Diego, noted on social media that at first, she thought it might have been a sevengill shark. However, upon closer inspection, she recognized its two dorsal fins and estimated it to be around seven feet long.
“I considered this probably a once-in-a-lifetime experience. None of us were particularly knowledgeable about sharks, so initially, it felt like we were discovering a new species,” she remarked.
She added that the moment highlighted how vast the ocean is and how little we actually understand about it, which further motivated them to protect these beautiful, mysterious waters.
Typically, prickly pear sharks prefer the deeper, colder parts of the Pacific Ocean, sometimes found at depths of up to 3,600 feet.
These elusive creatures are seldom seen by humans, and no one really knows how many exist in the wild.
Despite being called sharks, they pose no danger to people; their name comes from their spike-like teeth.
Zach Merson, a doctoral student at Scripps who studies sharks, mentioned that it’s unusual for these sharks to venture into shallower waters, especially considering the warmer temperatures in the area.
“In La Jolla, we have underwater canyons that create a unique environment with very deep waters close to shallow areas,” he explained. “So it’s not uncommon for prickly pear sharks to appear in these shallower habitats to feed.”
