The deep ocean yielded a long-sought spectacle when a goblin shark was filmed alive in its natural habitat for the first time. Marine biologist Alan Jamieson had abandoned hope of such an encounter until a baited camera descended into the Pacific’s Tonga Trench two years ago. The sighting, alongside a separate observation by researchers in Hawai‘i, marks a milestone for understanding these elusive creatures. Complementing this glimpse of living mystery, a bowhead whale harpooned in the 19th century was recovered in 2007 off Alaska; the embedded weapon, patented between 1885 and 1895, confirmed the species can survive beyond 200 years, making it the planet’s longest-lived mammal.

Yet the seas also reveal humanity’s heavy footprint. A dead humpback whale entangled in rope washed ashore in eastern Newfoundland, forcing the town of Spaniard’s Bay to weigh costly disposal options. Farther west, in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, a young North Atlantic right whale—a species numbering fewer than 400—was spotted trailing fishing gear for the second time in a week, with rough weather thwarting rescue attempts. These incidents highlight the persistent peril that fishing apparatus poses to marine giants.

On land, the relationship with fauna took a different turn. An 11-year-old boy in Kansas unearthed the fossil of a 15-foot Tylosaurus, a marine reptile that ruled the ancient inland sea 85 million years ago. The discovery, made during a geology club outing, has redirected his ambitions towards palaeontology. Meanwhile, in South Australia, a more recent invader appeared: a feral sambar deer, one of the nation’s largest deer species, detected by monitoring cameras and suspected of being illegally transported across state lines for hunting, prompting calls for intensified eradication.

In Victoria, authorities confront both wildlife and societal pressures. Farmers near the Big Desert Wilderness Park warn that a government-subsidised 70-km dingo exclusion fence will simply shift livestock predation onto unfenced neighbours, a tension exacerbated by a two-year-old ban on lethal dingo control. Separately, a surge in remand prisoners following tightened bail laws has stretched the prison system to near-breaking point. Legal advocates fear an Indigenous death in custody, while Premier Jacinta Allan contends the laws prioritise community safety. Viewed from Melbourne, the twin challenges of managing dangerous fauna and a burgeoning inmate population test the state’s governance.