A rare species of shark, the Thresher shark, has been found washed up dead on a beach in Cornwall. The shark measures in at 12 feet and was first noticed in the water by holidaymakers surfing at Hayle.
The surfers reported the shark, which is reportedly 6ft in body length and 6ft in tail length, to the coastguard after noticing it on Wednesday evening .
Thresher sharks are rarely seen, and infamous for having long, whip-like tails that can measure as long as their actual bodies. In the case of the dead shark off the Cornish coast, this was in fact what was found.
The shark was identified as a Thresher by Dave Jarvis from the Cornwall Wildlife Trust, who said that the animal was physically in good condition and would need to be studied further. No cause of death is known at this point.
The species has not been known to attack humans, although the massive animal’s strong tail could cause damage if encountered accidently. Some species can grow up to 20 ft in length.
Ian Rayson, a surfer on holiday in Cornwall, said that he saw the tail bobbing in and out of the water. He noted that the gills and tail were not moving, and so assumed the animal was dead. The sighting was later confirmed when the dead shark washed ashore at a beach in Cornwall.