As one of the world's most cosmopolitan shark species, the slender blue shark can be found cruising oceans across the globe. But unbeknown to most, these agile swimmers can also dive fathoms below.
While conducting a survey with the remotely operated vehicle (ROV) "Ventana", the team at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) caught a rare glimpse of a blue shark (Prionace glauca) swimming at an impressive 290 metres (951ft) below the surface.
Because blue sharks prefer cool water, they tend to dive deep like this when they move through the tropics. In fact, the Prussian blue predators have been recorded even deeper – at 350 metres (1,148ft)!
"Large, fast predators like this one are rarely observed with our remotely operated vehicles," says MBARI. "They can easily avoid being captured on video by the slow-moving and relatively noisy ROVs."
That slender body is built for efficiency. Blue sharks are highly migratory, and have been tracked swimming over 9,000 kilometres (5,592 miles) during a single pupping season. Just where this one was cruising to remains a mystery, but the encounter is one for the books.
To learn more about these ocean predators, check out some of our favorite blue shark facts: