This great white with scoliosis appears to be getting along just fine, even without a chiropractor. Photo: YouTube//Screenshot
When someone thinks of scoliosis, they probably think of an older person, bent and crooked by the weight of time. They do not think — not at first, anyway — of a great white shark. But great white sharks can suffer from a warped spine, and Carlos Gauna, a guy who films a LOT of great whites for his YouTube channel, The Malibu Artist, recently captured one on camera.
Gauna was aboard a vessel operated by the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy (AWSC) when they ran into the shark. Although it’s very unique, this particular shark is relatively well-known in the area.
Great whites aren’t the only sharks who can have scoliosis, either. In June, a fisherman reeled in a “squiggly” bull shark suffering from the disease and made national headlines. Bulls, great white, grey nurse sharks, and sand tigers have all been shown to have it, but it’s not at all common.
It appears that this one is living its best life, too, despite its bent back.
