Wildlife filmmaker Carlos Gauna and UC Riverside biology doctoral student Phillip Sternes have potentially made the first-ever sighting of a live newborn great white shark.

The duo spotted a pure white, 5-foot-long shark pup off the coast of Santa Barbara. Sternes believes the shark was shedding its embryonic layer.

The sighting could help solve the mystery of great white birthing habits. “Where white sharks give birth is one of the holy grails of shark science,” Gauna said.

The location of the sighting, close to shore, suggests the pup was likely born in shallow waters, challenging the belief that great whites are born farther out at sea.

Read more at UCR News.