'Extraordinary and poorly understood': The Mediterranean's great white sharks

Experts have called the filming of a close encounter between divers and a great white shark in the Mediterranean Sea an "exciting" moment - but warned little is understood about the region's shark population.

It is believed to be one of the first times the creature has been captured on film under water in the Mediterranean.

How many great white sharks are in the Mediterranean?

Sightings are extremely rare, and the population of the sharks in this part of the world is "poorly understood," the Shark Trust told Sky News.

"The white shark is a rare but persistent inhabitant of the Mediterranean Sea, and it is currently assessed as critically endangered in the region," the charity added.

A 2020 study said "little is known" about the distribution, habitat use and population trends of the species in the Mediterranean.

The research on the UN's Food And Agriculture Organisation's database showed 773 different records had been collected of the species in the Mediterranean for the period between 1860 and 2016.

It suggested a "complex trajectory of population change", with a "more recent" reduction of 61% since the second half of the last century.

Where are the main habitats?

A number of potential nursery or juvenile-use areas in the Mediterranean have been suggested, said the Shark Trust.

These are in the Sicilian Channel, Adriatic Sea and Aegean Sea.

What are the main threats the sharks face?

Illegal fishing and overfishing have put significant pressure on the population numbers of sharks.

Threats come from historical trophy and sport fishing and the capture for consumption, the Shark Trust said.

The sharks can get caught up in longlines, trawls and large nettings designed to capture schools of fish.

The General Fisheries Commission For The Mediterranean (GFCM) rules white sharks should be released alive - and not retained, landed, stored, sold or displayed.

"In practice, there is evidence of non-compliance in some states," said the Shark Trust.

The charity said it wants "strict enforcement of existing conservation and fisheries measures for all threatened shark species in the Mediterranean".

"The GFCM has adopted significant protections, but enforcement is inconsistent," it added.

How likely is it that tourists or divers will see a white shark?

Sightings are "extremely rare", said the Shark Trust.

"Genetic evidence suggests the Mediterranean animals are a distinct population with limited regular interchange with nearby Atlantic great whites," it added.

What do experts think of the divers' brief encounter?

Conservationists believe it shows the resilience of "these extraordinary animals".

Paul Cox, managing director at the Shark Trust, told Sky News: "We've long known of the presence of white sharks in the Mediterranean.

"The video shared on World Oceans Day of them in the Strait of Sicily is exciting.

"It suggests that, perhaps, despite the challenges faced by the regional population, these extraordinary animals are managing to maintain a foothold in the region."

How did the encounter come about?

The moment happened while a team was trying to clear abandoned fishing nets from a shipwreck between Sicily and Tunisia.

Experts said it is one of the most "heavily exploited fishing areas in the Mediterranean", where ghost nets continue to trap and kill turtles, large fish and other species.

The mission was organised by the Healthy Seas Foundation together with Ghost Diving and The Society for Documentation of Submerged Sites.

Veronika Mikos, of Healthy Seas, said: "Moments like this remind us how much life can still exist in offshore Mediterranean waters and how important it is to protect it from preventable threats like abandoned fishing gear or overfishing."

(c) Sky News 2026: 'Extraordinary and poorly understood': The Mediterranean's great white sharks