A Greenland shark, one of the longest-living animals on Earth, was caught near Belize

Researchers caught a Greenland shark off the coast of Belize in April, the first reported sighting of the species in the western Caribbean. The shark is typically found in the Arctic and at depths of up to 7,000 feet below the ocean surface. (Devanshi Kasana)

Researchers tagging tiger sharks off the southern coast of Belize couldn't believe their eyes when they recently reeled in a different kind of fish. It turned out to be a Greenland shark, which is typically found in the Arctic and can live to be over 500 years old.

The team of scientists thought the shark was dead when they finally hauled it to the surface. Unlike the tiger sharks they were after, this particular shark had black, worn-looking skin and pale blue eyes. Devanshi Kasana, a Ph.D. candidate at the Florida International University Predator Ecology and Conservation lab, said the shark looked "really, really old."