Scientists announced Tuesday that a great white shark was caught on camera swimming off the Rhode Island coast for the first time ever.
Underwater video shows the marine animal swimming in the waters around Block Island. It’s likely that the shark was a juvenile and a type that has never been spotted before, according to Atlantic Shark Institute (ASI) officials. (RELATED: Five North Carolina Oceanfront Houses Collapse As Hurricane Imelda, Humberto Roar In Atlantic: REPORT)
It was noted by officials that the sighting of the shark was a “needle in the haystack.”
“These small white sharks can be so elusive we didn’t know if it would ever happen,” said ASI executive director Jon Dodd, per The Providence Journal.
Baited Remote Underwater Video Systems, or BRUVs, were used to film the great white shark, said officials. Installed on the seafloor, BRUVs are systems that are custom-built and include waterproof cameras placed in protective housing.
#WATCH: For the first time, @atlanticshark18‘s Baited Remote Underwater Video Systems documented a great white shark in Rhode Island waters. Learn more: https://t.co/9fRDNeWFSC pic.twitter.com/SzmgGOfNmn
— WPRI 12 (@wpri12) September 30, 2025
BRUVs are deployed into waters up to 3,281 feet (1,000 meters), and they attract marine life by using bait. That’s when researchers get their opportunity to study.
Scientists have used BRUVs for years, but the recent video is the first time ever that a great white shark has been filmed using them.
“This is another excellent data point for our white shark research here in Southern New England, and we hope it’s not the last,” said Dodd, per ABC6.
Great white sharks live near the shore, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Because of their natural vulnerabilities — including low reproductive rates and sensitivity to human activity — these apex predators are among the most protected sharks on the planet.