A dog walker found a massive endangered shark washed up on a British beach.
The two-and-a-half metre thresher shark was discovered at about 8am on New Year’s Day on Par beach, Cornwall.
Teams from Cornwall Wildlife Trust have collected the body and will conduct an autopsy to determine the cause of death.
The thresher shark is a migratory species that passes through UK waters during the summer, according to The Wildlife Trust.
They are considered to be harmless to humans and can grow up to six metres in length and weigh up to a staggering 340kg. The sharks use their long tails to help hunt in the waters.
They can live for up to 50 years and are classed as vulnerable according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
“Initial assessments suggest that the shark had experienced significant trauma, likely caused by line-caught sport fishing,” said the Cornwall Wildlife Trust.
“Bycatch remains a major threat to ocean wildlife. Cornwall Wildlife Trust urges water users to follow safe handling and release practices to protect our marine animals.
“Huge thanks to our amazing volunteers and community members who helped move the animal safely and kept people at a safe distance.
“Post-mortem results are pending, full results will be published in due course.”
In 2022 a thresher shark was captured breaching the ocean – metres from a boat trip off Britain’s coast.
The astonishing footage showed the shark making a surprise appearance in front of a tour group in Cardigan Bay, West Wales.
The shark can be seen leaping high out of the water, right next to the boat.
It then emerges from the sea moments later as the boat is moving away – much to the shock of those onboard.
