A fisherman in Costa Rica has pulled off a catch that looks like something straight out of a science fiction movie. While fishing in Tortuguero National Park, local angler Garvin Watson reeled in a nurse shark unlike anything he had ever seen before. The shark measured six and a half feet in length — about as long as a small car — and had glowing orange skin paired with ghostly white eyes. Scientists say this is the first time such a shark has ever been recorded anywhere in the world. Its unusual colour comes from a rare condition known as xanthism, which causes animals to take on golden or orange tones. With its neon body and alien-like appearance, the shark has amazed locals and stunned researchers alike.
Orange shark shocks fisherman
Garvin Watson, who runs a hotel in Costa Rica, said he was stunned when he saw the strange-looking creature beside his boat. “We couldn’t believe what we had in front of us, an orange shark that looked like an alien,” he said. The shark measured 6 feet, 6 inches long, making it nearly as long as a small car. Photos and videos of the catch show the shark’s unusual orange glow shimmering against the water.
The shark’s colour is the result of xanthism, a rare genetic condition that changes normal pigmentation. Instead of the typical grey or brown shade of a nurse shark, this one turned bright orange. Scientists say xanthism can also appear in other animals such as fish, frogs, and reptiles, but this is the first time it has ever been documented in a nurse shark — and the first known record in the Caribbean Sea.
A first for science
Researchers described the discovery in the journal Marine Biodiversity, calling it the first-ever scientifically confirmed orange nurse shark. While it might look like a one-off oddity, scientists say such findings are important because they reveal how diverse and surprising marine life can be. It is also a reminder of how much we still have to learn about the ocean’s hidden world.
