New shark species discovered in Puget Sound

FOX 13's AJ Janavel takes a trip to the South Puget Sound to learn more about Washington's newest shark.
Subscribe to FOX 13 Seattle: www.youtube.co...
Watch FOX 13 Seattle Live: www.fox13seatt...
FOX 13 Seattle is Western Washington's source for breaking news, weather, traffic, politics and sports.
Download the FOX 13 Seattle News App: q13fox.onelink...
Download the FOX 13 Seattle Weather App: jckig.app.link...
Subscribe to FOX 13 Seattle newsletters: www.fox13seatt...
Follow FOX 13 Seattle on Facebook: / fox13seattle
Follow FOX 13 Seattle on TikTok: / fox13seattle
Follow FOX 13 Seattle on Instagram: / fox13seattle
Follow FOX 13 Seattle on Twitter: / fox13seattle

[@leev263]

Voiceover: I know what you’re thinking, “there’s sharks in the water, am I in danger?” Camera cuts to the smallest, most goober shark ever

[@ghostshirt1984]

Media loves to scare people for ratings, views and money.

[@cristineconnell7803]

😂😂😂

[@franklinj1038]

🤓

[@smithrex6202]

Oh I'm pretty sure it looks dangerous The shark: harmless and look small.

[@joeybulford5266]

Didn’t they say it grows to ten feet long and eats seals?

[@lindawalker8949]

So, it's not a new species, it's a first sighting of a common species.

[@rig2037]

Its not a common species, seven gills are the only sharks with seven gills and they are not aggressive to humans and they are hunted by Orcas, also one of the oldest shark species in existence

[@vuthearithkeary4704]

@@rig2037they are dangerous though

[@Orcaluv26]

@@vuthearithkeary4704 potentially…they are potentially dangerous.

[@Mr.Wetherilli]

​@@vuthearithkeary4704ok?

[@Lucas-gr2wb]

@@vuthearithkeary4704 no they are not

[@alieldorado1438]

People misread the title. It's not that they discovered a new species, it's that they discovered a species that's not usually in this area. Sevengills are usually deeeeeep sea sharks, and their teeth are highly prized by fossil collectors. The puget sound is VERY deep, creating a perfect habitat.

[@MmMerrifield]

The title is poorly worded

[@trishg5820]

And I didn't hear them mention whites as a possible Pacific NW shark.

[@jackgilchrist]

No, they miswrote the title.

[@Tidal_Terror]

Actually broadnose sevengills are relatively midwater sharks, often observed hunting for seals fish and crustaceans among the kelp forests that riddle the shallower coasts of the Western US. They're somewhat rare as they are mostly nocturnal and hunt their prey at night for the most part. While they certainly can dive to great depths, most individuals prefer a depth range of only about a few hundred feet.

[@shogunpxp]

Didn't know they can grow up to sssssssssss ten feet. Impressive 😂

[@4evarich5]

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@GH-oi2jf]

So it isn't a new species, just new to Puget Sound. Is that right?

[@nhansen197]

Probably been there all along. Seven Gill isn't an especially aggressive shark. It can be aggressive if provoked. The number of attacks on humans is so small it might just as well be a statistical anomaly.

[@LupusStormdancer33]

Not new to the Puget Sound at all, news station is pretty late to finding out that's for sure lol. The Seattle Aquarium had a special information area all about them for several years.

[@amr8457]

Yeah. That's what happens when you don't pay attention in English class. I swear they must just completely stopped teaching and practicing "comprehension".

[@mond000]

The news is useless by design.

[@justsomeguy6474]

@@nhansen197 lol no

[@LupusStormdancer33]

They aren't new... They've known about them for some time being in the sound. I remember when they had a special little information area at the Seattle Aquarium for them 🤷🏼‍♀️

[@duckwacker8720]

That's for six gill

[@AhNee]

@@duckwacker8720 and the special was because they were suddenly everywhere, then just as suddenly, scarce.

[@user-vx7vi3vq1c]

What? 7 gills have been there forever.

[@PestilentAllosaurus]

Yeah, I remember over 20 years ago going to a museum with a aquarium like area that said there were sevengills in our puget sound waters. I remember that I was fascinated, that was the first time me ever learning about these sharks. I felt honored that our ecosystem had these awesome deep water sharks like that. So this video really really confused me- as that's old news?

[@AhNee]

That was sixgills, and the sevengills are now being found way, way south near Shelton/Olympia in much shallower water.

[@Bonzar_Tumberson]

Sharks are seriously so cool. I wish people appreciated them more.

[@analienfromouterspace]

ikr, sharks are blessed with long life!

[@waltergurly4040]

I guess you have not been around them very much. Me being a long time commercial fisherman that wouldn't be my words for a shark

[@TroodonJesus156]

@@waltergurly4040 without sharks, the ecosystems that provide you with the fish you catch would collapse

[@waltergurly4040]

@@TroodonJesus156 their is always another predator to take ones shot. It will not collapse

[@TroodonJesus156]

@@waltergurly4040 sharks tend to be at the top of the food chain in most of our planet's oceans. 99% of the time, removing an apex predator does not bode well for the rest of the ecosystem, as evidenced by the disappearance of wolves in Yellowstone National Park

[@captbad9313]

There's been 7 gills in the sound forever. more so up in the San Juans and out the straits. Newly discovered? Not.

[@Thegreatpotato24]

They're up into the Canadian Gulf Islands too.

[@Yinzermakesvids]

Don't think you have the authority to make this claim or the education to make this claim.

[@gseric4721]

@@Yinzermakesvids if he's a native, he does.

[@carolinematusevich889]

Like that "flying spider" new discovery. Scientists should try to get out more often. LoL

[@duckwacker8720]

​@@YinzermakesvidsI do since I've been catching them from 2000 until now. I've caught 5 seven gill 100's of six gill in the Puget sound. There's more seven gill on the coast.

[@provisionpilot]

Them sharks been in that water since forever

[@aaronha994]

Yeah, we are land mammals,....way scary in them waters.

[@AhNee]

No, they're relatively new where they're being found NOW.

[@tardismole]

Well timed. Right in the middle of Shark Week.

[@thereissomecoolstuff]

Not sure but we used to talk about 7 gill sharks for many years. The dogfish population was down and there are Salmon Sharks that look like Mako sharks that eat salmon. Glad they are tracking those very old 7 gill sharks. Where can you see the footage from the cameras.

[@duckwacker8720]

Salmon shark look like Great White.

[@thereissomecoolstuff]

@@duckwacker8720 I think so to. If you look at a Mako mount especially a smaller one they look like a salmon shark. Mean little F’ers. They will tear up seine nets to get to the fish.

[@AhNee]

That was sixgills.

[@thereissomecoolstuff]

@@AhNee You are right. It’s a mutant from climate change. They needed one more set of gills for low O2 in lower Puget sound

[@AhNee]

@@thereissomecoolstuff Thanks, Mr. Point

[@wildeninja2836]

Just in time for Shark week

[@derekv8534]

I def caught a seven gill off of the Tacoma pier in 2003. Even called the fish and wildlife authorities like the sign said to. Why did it take them 21 years to determine they live there?

[@user-dl5lw4ht3k]

Look around, its half in the Trident pink salmon can, its other half is ptsd from bait hook release trauma. Hook it, cook it, or else. Throw backs never return to the life they once had.

[@CarolStJohn-ev9ry]

Alert! News station just discovered a new breed of cow in Washington pastures called a Holstein.

[@guyh.4553]

I very much remember going to Tacoma from southern Idaho so my dad could go with my uncle to go dogfish fishing in the early 70s. Sounds like we need more of these 7-Gills and for them to go up the Columbia to get rid of seals there!

[@duckwacker8720]

We've been catching six and seven gill from Willapa Bay to Commencement Bay for years. These come into the sound to have babies. Also the best bait for six and seven gill is dog shark.

[@user-dl5lw4ht3k]

cool, was saying the same thing, its a little up stream saw one Snoqualmie, had signs out saying to not go near the stream. I'm aware of these my whole life, this guy with the hook trauma is imparting major ptsd. Google fish ptsd from hook throwbacks, never throw em back after catching them. Science says its super sad, they never live like they once did ever again.

[@creationexplanation5906]

New shark species discovered? Alllllllrighty then And you all went to college? Fascinating.

[@cynthiaburns5233]

Hey Dave, nice to see you working with your favorite species again. Have fun! :)

[@cristineconnell7803]

My big brother used to catch shark in his rubber raft out there! He came home once with a big hook hooked into the back of his head! Mom iced it well, while putting pliers, needle & thread in rubbing alcohol! Then poured some on too! He did have to bite a bullet, but never uttered a peep! 💪He was later an underwater welder in the Navy!💪🇺🇸❤️

[@DerekHyche]

What is wrong with people. It not new. Damnit 😂

[@solomongrundy3411]

See what happens when you look around

[@Mila-lu4mb]

😂😂😂

[@505RH]

This isn't new at all. I've been fishing multiple times there with my aunt who lives on Bainbridge island. We've known about these for over 30 years and I don't even live in Washington.

[@spyder1364]

Not new, but rare in the area.

[@jo287]

Now that's fascinating for 🦈 Week. But a Sevengill 🦈?! WOW!

[@briantneary2248]

It's not even a slow news cycle in the last 24 hours, or anything

[@jaytriestoplay3647]

I saw them out there the other day :) didnt even know they were researchers doing stuff, there were so many floaters out that day!

[@Gruntilda-Winkybunion]

not gonna lie, small and baby sharks are really cute

[@tonydavies8683]

In WA we don't have aggressive sharks the water stays to cold year round they tend to be slower and more lax as well as the fact that most of them are bottom feeders (eat dead things ) more often than eating live animals wolf eels in the PNW can have attitudes bigger than any shark in this area.

[@Urfavgirls253]

It’s crazy because they were discovered right in front of my house I was watching them

[@johnbickle8457]

Literature when i was a kid claimed 250 known species of shark...today we are more than twice that number! awesome.

[@phishENchimps]

Oh. It's just facts. Like how the 7 gills range is from the western Pacific to the eastern Pacific...

[@Thundarr995]

Those have been in puget sound forever. My friend is a professional diver. He told me about seeing this species in Commencement Bay 20 + years ago. This must be a slow news day. Nobody got shot today. But that's a good thing. 😂

[@luciellawliet]

Fun fact: Sharks are older than trees

[@cynicalchimp107]

How is this news worthy? It's not a new species. Some egghead catches a 7 gill and is like "I guess there's 7 gills down there!"

[@keecuwwa.s]

Lol 😂

[@rmcafee978]

That’s not a new species, it’s new to the area.

[@Jon79w]

He was going to say it can grow up to 6 ft then he said 10 😂😂😂 trying to tell fibs to the people

[@timothypadgett7764]

Shark: I've always been here

[@lachauntiswashington231]

I'm excited for shark week. I look forward to it every year.

[@shawneldridge4465]

every year I watch shark 🦈 weak on discovery channel and every now and then they come across a new species or so. Some sharks have been around for years and they're just discovering them now. So this was awesome to watch.

[@kirbywaite1586]

God, this was hokie.

[@evandowdey1966]

babe, wake up a new shark just dropped

[@troybarrios2814]

I caught an 8ft Salmon Shark off of Les Davis fishing pier last night 07/28/2024 while 6 Gill fishing

[@Subie-Driver]

The ocean is so large and we know so very little about it and what lurks in its depths

[@cindymartinez6512]

So true!!!

[@JK360noscope]

Saw dogfish sharks fished out of Port Orchard city limits off a kayak! Cool stuff

[@deadGrlz206]

This would be a fun day at work

[@ivanlu51]

Just saw this shark in the Monterey Bay Aquarium 🤔

[@williamlowe2046]

Headline is misleading!

[@michaellazor5667]

News station needs to do more research before hand

[@prestrumpgoat8859]

Mother Nature is active and well

[@MarginWalker]

"DayV" LOL

[@8bit_paul]

"previously unidentified" would be more accurate than "new" species, it's always been there.

[@FrostRare]

If we are still discovering new species of seven feet long predators that lurk mere meters away from residential areas, imagine what species we haven’t found that exist 5000 feet away from human civilization.

[@zacharyhusk4649]

Is this video from 2003 and uploaded in 2024? Or was it actually taken in 2024 and then uploaded? Because according to google they have been sighted in Puget Sound since 2003.

[@bronwenable]

To be clear .. a fisherman alerted them of the 7 gill. The government employees only confirmed.

[@trishg5820]

The title of this video is a little misleading. The shark in question is not a new shark species - they are just new to the sound. Sevengills are one of the oldest cold water shark species & before being discovered in The Sound, they were known to be deep sea fish off the Pacific Northwest coast (among other locales) and usually only seen thru the window of a submersible. This species first appeared in the sound a few years ago but oceanographers thought it was a fluke. Now it appears it may be a possible permanent behavioral change. Also they forgot to add Great Whites to the shark list (they prefer cooler waters too).

[@Taurassic]

The sixgill shark has been awful quiet since this dropped

[@bd12544]

Is it off the coast if it’s in the sound? I would think offshore would be more clear.

[@andysneddon8288]

A bit behind the times, dudes. We've had seven-gill sharks in New Zealand for at least 60 years.

[@urielgrey]

So absolutely wonderful! Sharks are so important to our waters and health of our seas! Not scary just PLAIN COOL!!!

[@kaijuar2003]

1:07 Ok, for a moment I thought that was either a Xenacanthus or an Orthacanthus, lol. Both are shark-like fish that died out hundreds of millions of years ago.

[@awesomepossum4375]

I looked up the sharks on the internet and they either look like they're constantly pogging or they look like Muppets, I don't know why anyone would ever be afraid of these goobers.

[@twistedsky_97]

Probably isn’t new to Puget Sound, just new to researchers from the area

[@RandoFan415]

We discovered a new shark species before GTA 6

[@user-kj8hv2zr8z]

1:06 It looks like some kind of prehistoric sea creature ?

[@user-dl5lw4ht3k]

Animal abuse means if you hook it you don't cook it, it retains ptsd.

[@Laura-Kitty]

What?? Who actually "surfs" on Puget Sound?! There are no waves in the bay, those are on the coast. 🙄

[@kevinholcomb292]

A new species wasn't discovered. This was a new record of a species.

[@thecollector6746]

7 Gills do not target seals nor sea lions, and they are not a "new species".

[@patrickprafke4894]

If your next to salt water. There is Sharks. Unless your Australia. Then all water has sharks.

[@westcoastfoss2850]

First, the 7 gills get much much bigger than 10 feet. Second, the most populous area for them is actually just off seattle. Third, 7 gills are primarily scavengers that feed at night. Shark week did a special on them about 10 years ago and had a video of a large shark in the neighborhood of 14 feet.

[@curtishughes5430]

Didn't know there were that many species in the sound.

[@PacificForage]

Love seeing new scientific discoveries in our region. So glad i decided to go to OSU for Wildlife Biology. Making us proud, Beavers!

[@shawnoreilly228]

To Fox 13 Seattle, the seven gill shark is not a "new species" like you claim maybe the fact you've never seen it in Puget Sound but that shark has been around seeing how we have it here off the coast of British Columbia, Canada

[@galloe8933]

I caught a Dogfish one time off the docks by the zoo, drawing a blank but the 5 mile hike is there. Um... Yeah, fish off the tall docks, only one I ever saw, and I never thought to count the gills. May have been a ratfish...

[@MichaelClifford-ji1gb]

Looking like a politician 😮😮😮

[@user-xd8ng9fc2m]

Wow n we thought it was All discovered!!

[@tobystrickland8000]

There has been a new speices of shark found by Austrilia but that was like 15 years ago.

[@Nycticora]

Shit.... I didn't even know we had sharks here. I gonna have fun swimming today.....

[@shaf60]

Great white coming soon 🦈

[@dylangeltzeiler946]

Man, Then I 6 Gilled Sharks were something strange.

[@robertniel3026]

Yeah good job noaa on the awesome boat awareness coming a few yards off of boats coming way to close to divers in the water hats off

[@michellelester243]

I hear about bicatch seven gills coming up in nets around Westport Washington every once in a while

[@user-qj4nq6ky9c]

A new species of Chronics discovered in Seattle. 😁

[@lisasweller6711]

The sharks give a great sign that the waters are healthy. Maybe they know to they are not hunted for ahatk fin soup.

[@mermaidripples9302]

This is NOT new. 7gill is normal around here. That’s what makes the 6 gills shark 🦈 special. NORMAL!

[@thanos8914]

There’s no shark attacks because I decided

[@Doc1855]

As long as they don’t eat my crabs, squid, oysters and clams, I don’t care if they are there. The Sound is too cold to swim in unless you have a dry suit

[@Rightround0846]

10ft shark just discovered. Makes you think whats Really out there... 😮

[@disscustinglybeautiful1652]

I think you need a bigger boat 😂

[@thatguyblue4811]

Google says the Sevengill Shark was described in 1807. Could this be a new species of Sevengill (as in Sevengill being used more as a genus than a species) or subspecies? Or did they just get this part completely wrong?

[@MorrisWilsonFvcks]

2024 and we are still discovering new creatures. I wouldnt be surprised if they eventually discover a giant sea creature at the bottom of the ocean.

[@notreallyalec]

My spirit animal is definitely a shark because I love to swim and eat meat!

[@teyanuputorti7927]

Wonderful a new shark

[@nero0168]

We got a new shark before gta 6

[@pinepencil497]

THS SOUND?,… By stray kids? しっかりとぶちこむリズムにNow 答え導く Bass drumとGuitar 感じるままに Shout ガッツリ乗せ体 with the感情 Tempo got ya Driving me crazy yeah ビート上に"タッタッ" Look at me さらに上がってく My tension 空で筋斗雲乗って歌う Anthem The crowd's gonna follow us 届け！Pitch上げ ぶつけよう Bang bang gonna shout it out now Oh nothing better Yeah nothing matters 闇を照らし出す 始まりのSpotlight This is the sound it's our sound 胸を響かす 歓声に合わせて動き出すんだ DARAWARA DA DARAWARA DA This is the sound it's our sound 世界と繋げる 僕らの声に合わせ Move it up DARAWARA DA DARAWARA DA もう誰も止められない Fire 幕が降りても隠せない感情 切りない呼吸 (Ha) Let my breath out 息を吸って Once more 吐き出そう Wake up count down 一か八か 新しいカルテ Chart 脚本なし アドリブ リアクションでフル装着 思い込めて Cheers 既にもう決めたんだ 何もかも Peers 今から Fly high right now Oh nothing better Yeah nothing matters 闇を照らし出す 始まりのSpotlight This is the sound it's our sound 胸を響かす 歓声に合わせて動き出すんだ DARAWARA DA DARAWARA DA This is the sound it's our sound 世界と繋げる 僕らの声に合わせ Move it up DARAWARA DA DARAWARA DA 僕たちのRhapsody Rhapsody 高鳴る This melody melody 上げていこう Volume up max it up 全てが一つになって広がるんだ 当たってく To this time 上がっていく To our sound Get down to destination This is our Music Drive 燃え上がるStageが 舞い上がるLaputa 高鳴る Feel&beat This is our Music Drive This is the sound it's our sound 胸を響かす 歓声に合わせて動き出すんだ DARAWARA DA DARAWARA DA This is the sound it's our sound 世界と繋げる 僕らの声に合わせ Move it up DARAWARA DA DARAWARA DA

[@K8theKind]

Clique bait. There’s no newly discovered species. Just a newly arrived well known species.

[@sarafinasegale9537]

There is no reason why a great white could not be seen in waters around the Pacific Northwest....The temperature is about the same as around New York, Atlantic Ocean Coast..... Thresher sharks have always been known for human consumption.....They are very tasty, plentiful and have a fast growth rate.......

[@mariadelsolzin1277]

Poor reporting, no new species 😂

[@LighthouseProductions1]

I've known about the 7 gill shark for a long long time, this is nothing new