Shocking footage shows a sub on the ocean floor encountering a ‘deep-sea monster’ that predates dinosaurs.
An astonishing encounter filmed by the OceanX team reveals a deep-sea creature that preys on life older than dinosaurs.
This ancient predator can grow up to 20 feet long and remains a mystery in the depths of the ocean.
The mysterious deep-sea creature predating dinosaurs
In 2019, OceanX researchers dived hundreds of meters below the ocean’s surface and made an incredible discovery.
They came face to face with a bluntnose sixgill shark, an ancient predator that has been around since before the dinosaurs.
This creature, often mistaken for a megalodon shark, stunned the researchers as it casually swam over their submarine and even peeked inside, inspecting the crew.
Bluntnose sixgill shark: an ancient species
The bluntnose sixgill shark is one of the oldest species of sharks in the world. Dr. Dean Grubbs, a marine scientist at Florida State University, has been tracking this elusive predator.
Previously, he could only tag these sharks by bringing them to the surface, but with this mission, the OceanX team was able to tag one while it was in its natural deep-sea environment.
How the team got the shark’s attention
To attract the shark, the OceanX team brought 100 pounds of bait with them on their dive. This allowed them to lure the massive predator close enough for a rare and historic interaction.
“Our objective was the deep-sea #shark, the bluntnose six gill,” explained OceanX on YouTube at the time the video was posted in July 2019.
“This ancient species predates most dinosaurs, and is a dominant predator of the deep sea ecosystem.
The lead scientist on the mission, FSU Marine Lab’s Dr Dean Grubbs, has been the first to put a satellite tag on one of these elusive sharks, but until now had only been able to do so by bringing them up to the surface.”
The footage captured during this expedition has been viewed over 25 million times since being posted in 2019.
It has sparked widespread interest and even prompted the OceanX team to open up a Reddit thread to answer questions from curious viewers.
Explaining the satellite tagging process
One viewer asked how the shark’s tag communicates with satellites.
OceanX’s Lucy Howey explained that deep-water sharks like the bluntnose sixgill never surface, so the team uses archival tags.
These devices store data like a Fitbit and send it to satellites when they pop off and float to the surface. It’s a long process because the data can only be downloaded when satellites are overhead.
This rare deep-sea encounter reveals a world of mystery beneath the ocean’s surface.
The bluntnose six-gill shark, an ancient predator, offers a glimpse into life that predates dinosaurs.
The OceanX team’s groundbreaking discovery is a reminder of the incredible creatures still lurking in the deep, dark oceans of our planet.