Second tagging campaign for ghost sharks

When late November 2025 arrived, we headed out again to try to tag more chimaeras. Divers tend to spot chimaeras in the shallow bays during winter, often at 30 meters or less. We didn’t catch any individuals, and the season’s weather made things even tougher: cold winds, waves, rain, snow - not uncommon during winter along the Norwegian coast. Finally, in mid‑January 2026 we were able to go back out and that’s when things suddenly took off!

Lars Martin about to release the first chimaera he caught on a rod after it was tagged.

While the longlines soaked, we passed the time with some baited rod fishing, not expecting a lot. We’d been told chimaeras rarely go after moving bait—static gear works best, which can be difficult even with just some small waves and a bit of current. So when Lars Martin started reeling in, none of us paid much attention… But then two large, shiny eyes showed up in the dark water below us. A chimaera! We scrambled into action, prepped the tagging gear, and soon the sixth fish of the project—and the first of the season—was released with its acoustic tag.

Tagging a chimaera - the chimaera is submerged in water

Since the longlines still needed more time, we kept fishing. Unbelievably, Lars Martin hooked another chimaera. Two individuals just from rod fishing! That night, the longlines didn’t deliver any catches, but it was still a great success! The next two days didn't disappoint either: six more chimaeras were captured and tagged. By February 2026, we were back on the water for the last effort of the season. On the first evening, as the longlines soaked, Moritz reeled in a chimaera we had tagged nearly a year earlier, right in the same spot. Seeing the healed wound and the fish in good condition felt great and it confirmed that the project was working as intended. Over the next hours, longlines gave us five more new individuals.

Then came February 21st - likely our final tagging night of the Ghost Track project - and it became one of the most memorable field experiences we've ever had. After deploying and checking two longlines with only a crab to show for it, we debated whether to put out the second round with longlines. It was already 10:30 p.m., but we went for it anyway. Just after midnight, while checking the line, we saw a chimaera hooked. As we lifted it into the tank, Robert spotted another pair of glowing eyes deeper down. Instead of tagging the first one right away, we kept hauling in the longline—and sure enough, another chimaera appeared. But this one was extraordinary: it was releasing its egg cases right there in front of us. Witnessing egg laying firsthand was astonishing and supported our hypothesis that this bay may be used for laying eggs.

Egg cases of a female Chimaera monstrosa

With that final night, our second tagging round far exceeded expectations. We wrapped up the season with 20 chimaeras tagged with acoustic transmitters, now out in the fjords around Bergen and we can’t wait to retrieve data in the coming months.

Huge thanks to the Save Our Seas Foundation for supporting the Ghost Track project (Project nr. 681) and the Norwegian Research Council project PUFFINS (Project nr. 352869), both projects helping shine light on this elusive, stunning, and rarely studied species.