by The deep sea is a strange place—beautiful, mysterious, and often downright terrifying. And thanks to OceanX (a nonprofit dedicated to protecting and studying our oceans), one viral video has once again reminded people why they’d never set foot inside a submarine.
Originally uploaded to the OceanX YouTube channel back in 2019, the clip is making waves again on social media. The footage shows researchers tagging a deep-sea predator that looks like it swam straight out of a nightmare—the bluntnose sixgill shark.
An Ancient Predator That Outlived Dinosaurs
The bluntnose sixgill shark isn’t your everyday shark. This species has been around for over 200 million years, predating most dinosaurs, and still dominates the deep-sea ecosystem. Usually, scientists can only tag them by bringing them up to the surface. But this time, the OceanX team managed to tag one while still inside a submarine—a huge scientific milestone.
This isn’t even the scary part of the video (Ocean X/YouTube)
The shark itself was breathtaking: massive, fast, and feeding calmly near the ocean floor. But the internet wasn’t buzzing about its size or speed—it was all about its eyes.
The “Human-Like” Eye That Creeped Everyone Out
As the shark swam close to the submarine, its eye turned toward the camera. What people saw was… unsettling. Unlike most fishy, black, soulless eyes, this one looked almost human.
One viewer admitted:
“I got chills when the shark opened its eyes, never seen anything like that.”
Another joked:
“That side eye is pure ‘turn off your high beams, bro.’”
That is the eye that will give you nightmares (Ocean X/YouTube)
Others found it both creepy and fascinating, with some even saying the shark’s eye looked like something straight out of an animation. Whether terrifying or mesmerizing, no one could look away.
Why Do Sharks Have Eyes Like That?
The bluntnose sixgill lives in pitch-black depths, so its other senses usually do the heavy lifting. But when it does use its eyes, they appear eerily expressive. Scientists believe these large, reflective eyes help it spot prey in the darkness of the deep ocean.
So, if you’re ever deep-sea diving and a massive shark gives you the side-eye—don’t panic. It’s just checking out what’s shining in its territory.
Final Thoughts
Whether you see it as nightmare fuel or a marvel of evolution, the bluntnose sixgill shark proves once again that the ocean hides secrets stranger than fiction. One thing’s for sure: you couldn’t pay most people enough to go down there.
If you’re curious (and brave enough), you can watch the full video on OceanX’s YouTube channel. But don’t say we didn’t warn you about those eyes.
