Scientists discover greenland sharks may not be blind after all, challenging assumptions about arctic’s most mysterious predator

In the frigid depths of the Arctic Ocean swims one of Earth’s most enigmatic creatures—the Greenland shark. These ancient giants, which can live up to 500 years and grow longer than a great white shark, have long been dismissed as sluggish, nearly blind scavengers drifting through the polar twilight in search of carrion.

But new research is challenging everything scientists thought they knew about these remarkable animals. Far from being the clumsy, sightless relics once described by researchers as looking “already dead,” Greenland sharks may possess more sophisticated abilities than previously imagined. Recent studies suggest these Arctic predators might not be as visually impaired as once believed, despite the common presence of parasitic copepods that attach to their eyes.

The discovery represents a significant shift in understanding one of the planet’s least studied large predators. These sharks move at a pace slower than human walking speed, yet somehow manage to hunt seals and other swift prey in the harsh Arctic environment. Their extreme longevity—some specimens may have been alive when Shakespeare was writing his plays—makes them living time capsules of ocean history.

As climate change rapidly transforms the Arctic, understanding these mysterious sharks becomes increasingly urgent. Their biology holds secrets that could unlock new insights into longevity, cold-water adaptation, and the complex ecosystems of our planet’s polar regions. Each new discovery about Greenland sharks reminds us how much we still have to learn about the remarkable species sharing our changing world.