The great white shark is a powerful apex predator, commanding widespread interest. Its size and predatory capabilities lead to curiosity about its global distribution. People wonder about its presence in various regions, prompting questions about where these sharks roam, including the European coastline.
Great White Sharks in the Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a known habitat for great white sharks. While not considered native like in other oceans, they have established a population there. Genetic analysis suggests Mediterranean great white sharks are more closely related to Pacific and Australian populations than those in the Atlantic. This indicates a unique historical journey, with theories suggesting that a few pregnant females may have become disoriented during the Ice Age around 450,000 years ago, or that their ancestors entered through the Central American waterway millions of years ago.
Sharks are drawn to the Mediterranean by available prey, including large bony fish, rays, other shark species, and marine mammals like bluefin tuna, seals, and dolphins. Their presence is influenced by water temperature, which ranges between 12 and 24 °C (54 and 75 °F) in suitable areas. Historically, the Mediterranean supported a more substantial great white shark population, but intensive fishing pressure led to a significant decline. The great white shark population in the Mediterranean is currently classified as critically endangered in Europe.
Evidence in Italian Coastal Waters
Concrete evidence confirms the presence of great white sharks in Italy’s coastal waters, though encounters remain uncommon. Documented instances include sightings, captures, and strandings across various Italian regions. For example, in June 2015, amateur fishermen off Porto Empedocle in Sicily filmed a great white shark. Another notable sighting occurred in September 1998 off Rimini in the Adriatic Sea, leading to temporary beach closures. More recently, in May 2020, a great white shark was filmed near Lampedusa, south of Italy.
Historical records further support their presence, such as a 6.20-meter specimen caught off Gallipoli, Puglia, in 1979. The Strait of Sicily is considered an important area for this species, with an immature male caught as by-catch in November 2015. The Sicilian Channel, between Sicily and Tunisia, is believed by researchers to serve as a nursery ground for juvenile great whites. Records also indicate occurrences in the Ligurian Sea, the Strait of Messina, and around Elba Island, where sightings and captures have been documented since the late 19th century. A young great white shark was caught and released off Montenegro in the Adriatic Sea in 2025, highlighting their continued presence in the broader Adriatic region.
Understanding Their Presence and Behavior
Great white sharks are present in Italian waters primarily because they follow their migratory prey, such as bluefin tuna, and seek out suitable environmental conditions. Their movements are often tied to the availability of food sources and areas that provide appropriate temperatures for their life cycle stages, including potential nursery grounds. The low frequency of encounters with these sharks is largely due to their elusive nature and the vastness of the ocean, which allows them to remain largely undetected.
These sharks are at the top of the marine food web, playing a role in maintaining the balance of ocean ecosystems by regulating populations of other marine animals. Interactions between great white sharks and humans are rare and typically accidental. While documented instances of interactions exist in the Mediterranean, the likelihood of an encounter is minimal. The Mediterranean great white shark population faces challenges, including low genetic variability and significant declines due to fishing pressures and depleted food sources.