• First-ever footage of a sleeper shark found in Antarctica's frigid waters.
• Shark measures approximately 3 to 4 meters (10 to 13 feet) long.
• Discovery challenges the belief that sharks do not exist in Antarctic waters.
• Research highlights the impact of climate change on marine species distribution.
• Filming occurred at a depth of around 490 meters (1,608 feet) with nearly freezing temperatures.

A sleeper shark has been filmed in Antarctic waters, marking the first time such a species has been captured on camera in this icy region. Resembling a "barrel" as it moved over the seabed, this shark is estimated to be between 3 to 4 meters (10 to 13 feet) long, surprising researchers who had previously assumed that sharks did not inhabit these frigid waters, according to SCMP, NPR, and CBS News.

This substantial shark was recorded by a camera operated by the Minderoo-UWA Deep-Sea Research Centre, located off the South Shetland Islands near the Antarctic Peninsula. The filming site is well within the Antarctic Ocean's boundaries, defined as areas below the 60-degree south latitude line, as noted by experts, including researcher Alan Jamieson and conservation biologist Peter Kyne, according to SCMP and CBS News.

The shark was filmed at a depth of 490 meters (1,608 feet), where the water temperature hovered just above freezing, at 1.27 degrees Celsius (34.29 degrees Fahrenheit). Interestingly, a skate, a close relative of sharks, was visible in the footage, undisturbed by the presence of the larger predator, revealing the coexistence of marine species in this extreme environment, according to NPR and CBS News.

Jamieson pointed out that despite assumptions, no prior records have indicated the presence of sharks in the Antarctic Ocean, underscoring the significance of this discovery. This finding suggests that the sleeper shark population in this region is likely sparse and challenging for researchers to detect. The potential impacts of climate change might be influencing the distribution of marine species, leading to a northern migration, according to SCMP, NPR, and CBS News.

Consequently, researchers propose that these sleeper sharks may have been inhabiting Antarctic waters for some time without being observed simply due to a lack of exploratory efforts during much of the year. Jamieson emphasized that due to the extreme difficulty in accessing these regions, research cameras are only operational during the Southern Hemisphere summer months, providing brief windows for rare findings, according to NPR and CBS News.