Porbeagle shark washed up days after whale deaths

7 hours ago

Dan HallNorth East and Cumbria

News image — A necropsy will be carried out to determine the shark's cause of death

SEAN STRAKER A porbeagle shark on the sand. The shark is a blue-grey colour with flashes of white on the fin and tail. The sand is textured and there is a spotlight lighting up the back of shark against the dark — A necropsy will be carried out to determine the shark's cause of death

A marine rescuer said more investigations were needed after a shark was found dead on a beach soon after six pilot whales died after becoming stranded in the same area.

The 6.5ft (2m) porbeagle shark was found dead at Hadston Rocks, south of Amble, Northumberland, on Thursday and has since been recovered by British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) and Amble fishermen.

Earlier in the week the six whales died after a pod of about 40 distressed whales was seen near Amble.

Debbie Harrison-Hardy, from BDMLR, said there were questions about how the porbeagle had come to be stranded. The sharks are listed as endangered in some parts of the world.

She said the shark had a bite mark and some claw marks which were more than likely to have been from a grey seal, but that was unlikely to be the cause of death.

Firefighter Sean Straker was fishing nearby on Thursday night and helped with the rescue.

"It took about an hour to get it off the beach, it was a bit of a struggle," he said.

"It looked like a mini great white, its teeth were about an inch big, it was great to look at."

SEAN STRAKER A porbeagle shark lies on the sand. It is a blue-grey colour. Two men wearing flashlights on their heads and wearing waterproof jackets and trousers are behind the shark. One is kneeling and one is standing — The sharks are usually found several miles offshore in deeper water

The shark's body will be handed over to the Cetacean Strandings Investigation Programme (CSIP) in London, which will perform a necropsy to determine its cause of death.

Despite its appearance, the porbeagle shark poses no threat to humans, according to Newcastle University's Per Berggren.

The professor of marine megafauna conservation said the sharks were common in UK waters, but it was unusual for them to come so close to the shore.

Berggren added he was aware of three records of porbeagles in the last 10 years, while BDMLR said a smaller porbeagle shark had washed up on South Shields beach on 17 June.

He said: "Usually, they are several miles offshore in deeper water where they feed on mackerel, herring and squid."

The shark is listed as vulnerable on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) red list.

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