Rare Prickly Shark Spotted by Marine Biology Students During Night Dive

The deep-water shark is typically only observed by submarine, making this a remarkable sighting.

Published on Feb. 23, 2026

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A group of marine biology students from Scripps Oceanography had a once-in-a-lifetime encounter during a night dive in San Diego's La Jolla Cove, spotting a rare prickly shark, a deep-water species typically found at depths of 300 to 2,000 feet. The students were amazed to see the 7-foot shark, which has large, thorn-like denticles on its body and is categorized as near-threatened.

Why it matters

Sightings of the prickly shark, which is found in the Western and Eastern Pacific, are extremely rare for divers as the species typically inhabits much deeper waters. This encounter highlights how little is still known about the ocean's mysterious creatures and the importance of continued exploration and conservation efforts.

The details

During the night dive, Scripps Oceanography graduate student Cali Lingle and her dive partner Liam Dougherty, along with two other friends, spotted the rare prickly shark on the seafloor. Lingle initially thought it was a sevengill shark, but upon closer inspection, she noticed the two dorsal fins and the shark's large size of around 7 feet long. Prickly sharks are found at depths of 11 to 1,100 meters in the Pacific, making this a remarkable sighting in the relatively shallow La Jolla Cove, which has a submarine canyon reaching 700 feet deep.

  • The night dive took place in San Diego's La Jolla Cove.

The players

Cali Lingle

A Scripps Oceanography marine biology graduate student, scientific diver, and anchovy bioenergetics expert who spotted the rare prickly shark during the night dive.

Liam Dougherty

Cali Lingle's dive partner who was with her during the encounter with the prickly shark.

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What they’re saying

“I thought the shark was a sevengill at first, but I saw two dorsal fins and the shark looked at least seven feet long. Turns out this shark is extremely rare to see by divers because they commonly swim in deeper waters, closer to 300 to 2,000 feet down.”

— Cali Lingle, Scripps Oceanography graduate student (Instagram)

“This was by far the most amazing experience I've had. It felt like discovering a new species at first, because none of us knew of the shark beforehand. It reminded me of how big the ocean really is and how little we know, and gave me motivation to keep protecting and caring for our mysterious and beautiful oceans.”

— Cali Lingle, Scripps Oceanography graduate student (Instagram)

What’s next

The students plan to share their rare sighting with the scientific community to contribute to the understanding of the prickly shark's behavior and habitat.

The takeaway

This unexpected encounter with a deep-water prickly shark highlights the continued mysteries of the ocean and the importance of exploration and conservation efforts to protect these little-known species.