Deep in the icy, shadowy waters of the North Atlantic, an extraordinary creature continues its slow, silent journey — a Greenland shark believed to be nearly 400 years old. This ancient being may have been born in the early 1600s, a time when sailing ships ruled the oceans, empires were expanding, and the modern world was still centuries away from taking shape.
While humans discovered electricity, invented airplanes, and even ventured into space, this shark has glided quietly beneath the surface, unaffected by the passage of time. Scientists estimate her age through radiocarbon dating of her eye tissue — a method that revealed Greenland sharks grow extremely slowly, just about one centimeter per year, allowing them to live longer than any other known vertebrate species on Earth.
These majestic sharks inhabit the deep, cold waters of the Arctic and North Atlantic, where temperatures remain close to freezing. Their sluggish metabolism and frigid environment are thought to play a major role in their incredible longevity. Some experts even describe them as “living time capsules,” carrying genetic clues that could unlock secrets about aging and resilience.
Imagine a single creature living through the invention of the telescope, witnessing the rise of the Industrial Revolution, the birth of modern medicine, the first moon landing, and now, the digital era. It’s a breathtaking reminder of nature’s patience and persistence.
Nearly four centuries later, this Greenland shark still swims beneath the ice — a living legend of the deep, quietly enduring while the world above continues to change.