Rare shark spotted in Galapagos Islands for first time in nearly 20 years

Scientists have spotted a rare species of shark in the Galapagos Islands for the first time in nearly 20 years.

Experts recorded smooth hammerheads swimming in the waters around the famous islands, which lie in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Ecuador.

They think the area could be an important place for young sharks to spend the earliest stages of their lives, before moving into the open ocean.

The team hope the discovery will help them learn more about the little-known species and support efforts to protect them in the future.

The discovery was made by a team of researchers led by experts at Texas A&M University at Galveston in the United States.

They decided to take a closer look at the smooth hammerhead, one of the least-studied shark species in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean.

Experts used a number of methods to study the sharks, including using underwater cameras, DNA testing and looking at their physical features.

This confirmed that the sharks were indeed rare smooth hammerheads.

The team's findings suggest the waters around the Galapagos Islands could be an important area for young sharks, where they spend the early stages of their lives.

Smooth hammerheads are one of the least-understood hammerhead species in the world.

Lead researcher of the study, María Antonia Izurieta Burbano De Lara, explained: "The Galapagos Islands are famous for their big schools of scalloped hammerhead sharks, but smooth hammerheads hadn't been officially recorded in the archipelago for over 20 years.

"We know very little about where they feed, where they go or how their populations are doing," she added.

The team now want to carry out more research to find out why the sharks use the area, how long they stay there and where else they can be found around the islands.

María Antonia said: "Our goal is to provide the scientific evidence needed to inform the government on how to better protect these sharks throughout their lives."