A great white shark nicknamed "Deep Blue" is all the rage on social media after Mexican researcher Mauricio Hoyos Padilla posted a video of the massive shark on Facebook.
Originally shot off Mexico's Guadalupe Island in 2013, the footage was only released until now because Padilla had only recently found the recording on his hard drive, according to the Daily Mail.
Deep Blue, at a length of over 20 feet, is believed to be the largest great white ever caught on camera. The shark was originally featured in a documentary on the Discovery Channel during "Shark Week," when researchers tagged the gigantic animal.
DEEP BLUEI give you the biggest white shark ever seen in front of the cages in Guadalupe Island....DEEP BLUE!!!Este es el tiburón blanco mas grande visto desde las jaulas en Isla Guadalupe...DEEP BLUE!!!
Posted by Mauricio Hoyos Padilla on Tuesday, June 9, 2015
The video shows the great white shark swimming near researchers, with one being brave enough to start swimming outside the protection of the metal cage.
At the end of the clip, the shark bumps its nose against the cage, showing of it's teeth to the camera below.
Along with the video, Padilla explained that he is working on a campaign that seeks to help protect Deep Blue, according to Canada Journal.
"This amazingly enormous female is carrying several little baby white sharks," he said. "When white sharks are about to give birth, they get close to the shore and deliver their pups in shallow areas, known as nursery grounds."
He revealed, however, that this is where many sharks are most vulnerable.
"Unfortunately, these areas are very vulnerable to several human threats," he concluded.
Padilla hopes that the public's interest in Deep Blue will help fund more research into the sharks that inhabit Pacific waters, as well as provide the Mexican Government with more information, and greater impetus, to protect them.
