That Very White Shark

Jason Gillespie of England was deep-sea fishing with some friends near the Isle of Wight when he caught this three-foot tope shark. The shark is a protected species so after this photo was taken Gillespie released the shark and reported it was fine. Tope sharks, Galeorhinus galeus, are a migratory species and quite common in UK waters inhabiting the upper continental shelf down to a depth of 550 metres. Despite media reports, Gillespie’s catch is not an albino shark. To date, albinism has occurred in 26 species of sharks, but this shark actually has a rare genetic condition called leucism which differs from true albinism in which the eyes retain their normal color.

Read more and learn more about albino sharks