A rare bright orange shark has been spotted in Costa Rica’s Tortuguero National Park, marking the first recorded discovery of its kind. The unusual shark was encountered during a fishing trip in August 2024, according to findings published in a recent scientific journal.
Researchers photographed the shark before promptly releasing it back into the water.
The species, identified as a nurse shark commonly found in Costa Rica’s coastal marine parks, is believed to have been born with xanthism — a genetic condition that suppresses darker pigments and enhances lighter colors such as orange and yellow.
The striking orange shark, which looks more like a giant, vibrant koi fish than a predator of the sea, is considered a double rarity. Scientists believe it may also have albinism — a genetic disorder that reduces melanin production and often results in pale or white features.
In this specimen, researchers observed cloudy white eyes with “no visible irises.”
Researchers also proposed that environmental factors such as inbreeding, stress, and hormonal imbalances may have played a role in the shark’s unusual coloration.
Typically, nurse sharks display light brown skin that allows them to camouflage with the ocean floor, along with small black eyes ringed by a white cornea.
