Fisherman reels in first-ever bright orange shark
You learn something new every day!
A fisherman in Costa Rica reeled in something that looked straight out of a Pixar movie - a six-foot-six bright orange nurse shark.
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Yes, orange. Not grey, not blue, not even the terrifying white we’ve all come to know from 'Jaws'.
And before you shout "AI!", this is 100% real.
The lucky (or possibly bewildered) fisherman was Garvin Watson, who was casting off near Tortuguero National Park in August 2024.
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Watson described the moment as “incredible” and admitted he and his crew couldn’t quite believe their eyes.
Honestly, who would? It's not every day that you discover a Fanta-coloured shark!
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Photos of the unusual catch quickly made their way to Facebook, and then into the hands of scientists who were, let’s say, more fascinated than frightened.
Researchers explained the shark’s bright hue is caused by xanthism, a rare condition where animals develop yellow or gold pigmentation in their skin, fur, or scales.
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The shark’s eerie white eyes suggest it also has a form of albinism, which means a lack of normal pigment elsewhere.
So, in essence, this wasn’t just any nurse shark; this was a once-in-a-lifetime, double-whammy genetic marvel.
According to a report published in Marine Biodiversity, scientists Marioxis Macías-Cuyare, Gilberto Rafael Borges Guzmán, and Daniel Arauz-Naranjo confirmed that this nurse shark is the first documented case of total xanthism in its species and the first record ever from the Caribbean Sea.
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Discoveries like this help scientists better understand marine biodiversity, genetic quirks, and how animals adapt.
It’s a reminder of how much of the ocean is still uncharted, still surprising, and still capable of blowing our minds.
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