These mysterious giants are the oldest living vertebrates on Earth. They live life in extreme slow motion in the freezing Arctic waters!
Imagine a shark swimming in the ocean today that was alive when the Taj Mahal was being built or when the first pilgrims arrived in America. That's the reality for the Greenland shark!
Scientists used carbon dating on the eyes of these sharks and discovered something mind-blowing. These sharks can live for at least 272 years, and some are estimated to reach nearly 500 years old. This makes them the longest-living vertebrate (animal with a backbone) on our planet. While humans are lucky to reach 100, these sharks are just getting started at that age.
Because they live so long, everything in their life happens in slow motion. A Greenland shark grows only about 1 centimeter per year. Because they grow so slowly, their bodies take a very long time to mature. They don't even reach "puberty" - the age where they can have babies - until they are around 150 years old. Imagine being a teenager for over a century!
Why do they live so long? The secret is the freezing cold water of the Arctic. Their environment is so cold that their metabolism (the engine that runs their body) is incredibly slow. They move slowly, eat slowly, and age slowly. They are basically the "sloths of the ocean," but they outlive almost everyone else.
Greenland sharks are the record-holders for long life among vertebrates. They can live up to 500 years and don't start having families until they are 150. Their secret is a very slow life in very cold water, making them true time travelers of the deep sea.
