Arctic shark that can live 500 years found in the Caribbean (4 photos)

A predator living in the icy waters of the Arctic was spotted in Caribbean Sea 6500 km from the coast. The researchers found the Greenland shark when they caught and tagged tiger sharks in waters of Belize.





Member of the Devanshi Kasana team, PhD student at the International University of Florida, noticed that the caught fish looked "pretty sluggishly."

"At first I was sure it was a sixgill shark, which is well known at great depths near coral reefs, - Casana says. - I knew it was something unusual, and the fishermen too never seen anything like it in years of fishing."

Devanshi took a picture of a mysterious animal and sent photographs to the supervisor. He assumed it was Greenlandic polar shark. His version was confirmed by experts.



Greenland sharks are semi-blind and can grow up to five meters in length.

According to another version, it may be a hybrid of the Greenland and Pacific polar sharks.



Only one case of a Greenland shark attack on a person has been recorded.

Fisherman Omar Fox admitted: "I always look forward to my deep sea catch, because I know that there are creatures that we not yet seen in Belize but I never thought I'd catch a Greenland shark."

According to the university, this is the first time that Greenland shark has been spotted in the western Caribbean, near second largest coral reef in the world.



The Greenland shark is rare and is the most long-lived vertebrates, ranging in age from 250 to 500 years.

Earlier this year on the beach at Newlyn Harbor near Penzance (Cornwall) a dead Greenland shark was found, probably born when England was ruled by Henry VIII, and the sovereign of all Rus' was Vasily III.