Filmmakers Capture Images of Rare "Phantom" Sharks Off Coast of Rhode Island and MA

Filmmakers Capture Images of Rare "Phantom" Sharks Off Coast of Rhode Island and MA

Two Rhode Islanders -- wildlife cinematographers Joe Romeiro and his wife, URI marine biologist and Ph.D. student Lauren Romeiro -- have captured rare video footage and still photographs of rare porbeagle sharks, also known as the "phantom" shark, swimming off the coast of Rhode Island and Southeastern Massachusetts. 

Porbeagle Sharks typically reach 8.2 feet in length and a weight of about 300 pounds and North Atlantic sharks grow larger than Southern Hemisphere sharks.

Named for its ‘porpoise’ shape and for its ‘beagle’-like hunting prowess, this little-known deep-water predator is often mistaken for its close relatives, the Great White and Mako sharks.

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“There are very few photos or film footage of free-swimming porbeagle sharks anywhere in the world,” states Joe Romeiro. “We were out at night on our research vessel to capture what few have ever witnessed, hoping for just one porbeagle but then we saw five interacting with each other. It was the motherload!”

The Romeiros have spent countless hours on the R/V WARFISH in the waters off New England, documenting and observing sharks that call this region home. After years of research trying to better understand the porbeagle’s behavior, they have nicknamed it the “Phantom Shark” due to its elusiveness.

“Out of over 500 species, porbeagles are one of only five that are able to warm their bodies, making them a super predator in the cold waters of the North Atlantic,” Lauren Romeiro said. “The porbeagle dominates this area in the cold winter months.”

The Romeiros say their shark research involves non-invasive sampling techniques that avoid disturbing the critically endangered animals’ natural behavior.

“Traditionally, sharks have only been studied through methods that involve capturing a few individuals. It does not provide a true and full picture of the behavior of the whole population such as where they are spending their time and why, because the method can alter their natural behavior,” said Lauren Romeiro. “Our research technique allows us to observe many different animals at one time as well as at different life stages, showing that we don’t need to rely on catching animals for data.”

The couple owns 333 Productions.