Featured Image Credit: OceanX
Billionaires might be looking into the secrets of space, but there are still huge amounts of the Earth that are still a mystery to us.
We're talking specifically about the bottom of our oceans - and footage uploaded to YouTube by OceanX in 2019 underlined this point perfectly, showcasing a monstrous deep-sea shark
Its species has been around on Earth since before the age of dinosaurs, which is pretty mind-boggling.
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What OceanX did - in partnership with the Cape Eleuthera Institute - had never been done before.
The team managed to tag one of those massive bluntnose sixgill sharks from a submersible - previously, these tags have had to be applied by bringing sharks up to the surface, which can be disruptive and risky, so.
The footage of it is pretty jaw-dropping, showing a large and powerful-looking shark feeding on what is presumably bait luring it in.
As the shark noses around the submersible, at one point there's a really clear shot of its massive eye looking up at the divers in their sub, with a red light making it feel all the creepier.
The team identifies the shark as a female, and one of its occupants estimates that she's "bigger than the sub" is, showing just how imposing the creature really is.
You can also hear the team being impressively patient as they wait to get the perfect clear shot to embed the tracker, holding off even when she's really close because they know that there are better places to shoot.
The footage attracted exactly as much awe from people on YouTube as you would expect, too.
One person wrote: "I got chills when the shark opened its eyes, never seen anything like that!", while someone else agreed: " This is something out of a sci fi movie... the creatures we have on this planet are just amazing".
Another viewer commented: "If not the size, this shark's eye alone would have given me a straight heart attack."
We'd have to agree, too - for all that the scientists are inside their submarine, you can see plenty of pipes and wiring that the shark could make mincemeat of if it chose to do so, meaning this really does look like a scary situation.
Still, for an oceanographic researcher, it's probably more like a dream come true to be up close with something as rare as this beast.
But that shot of its eye will certainly stay with us for a while!
