Our minds do seem to play tricks on us once in awhile, especially when our nerves are all frazzled up and we are alone at home, with the curtains drawn as the world sleeps peacefully outside. Any noise seems to be magnified in such a situation, and there might be moments when you thought you saw something creep up behind you, only to disappear in the literal blink of an eye when you turn around. What about the animal kingdom -- is there such a thing as ghosts? Perhaps, but in this particular video of an alleged ghost shark which has been spotted shows, this is flesh-and-cartilage, and such a video has certainly managed to made its way to the top of any viewing charts regardless of which part of the world you live in. So, for a video of an actual spiritual apparition of an animal, you would have to wait or look elsewhere.

Why is this particular video so “hot” in the first place? Well, assuming it is not doctored or manipulated in any way whatsoever, this particular video is touted to be the first sighting ever caught on camera that features the extremely elusive ghost shark. Scientists were the ones who first discovered the ghost shark that was swimming along in the Pacific Ocean between California and Hawaii all the way back in 2009, minding its own business.

Since then, it was not always a path of roses for the scientists, as the group of researchers took another seven years in order to arrive at a particular conclusion that what they say that day in 2009, was actually a pointy-nosed blue blue ratish Hydrolagus trolli. In other words, a ghost shark. Of course, all of this still remains “theoretical” in a sense, since there can be no positive confirmation on the species of the shark until it is finally caught and examined. Late October this year, the footage that you enjoyed above was released by the Monterrey Bay Aquarium Research Institute.

According to the group of researchers and scientists, they claim that this particular shark happens to be native to the Southern Hemisphere, which would include the waters around Australia, New Zealand, Africa and South America. Monterrey Bay Aquarium Research Institute spokeswoman Kim Fulton-Bennett, has mentioned in a statement, “Similar looking, but as yet unidentified, ghost sharks have also been seen off the coasts of South America and southern Africa, as well as in the Indian Ocean.”

The discovery of the ghost shark is a story that is synonymous with many other scientific discoveries -- by mistake. Dave Ebert, the program director of Pacific Shark Research Center at Moss Landing Marine Laboratories, shared with National Geographic on how geologists were the ones performing the research, and not marine biologists. Hence, most folks would not have scouted that particular area for no reason, so providence certainly has a role to play in the discovery of the ghost shark. The ghost shark is best described to feature dead eyes, winged-fins and a retractable sex organ that is right there on its head.

Well, hopefully a live specimen can be caught soon!