Ireland
Schweizer found a shark on the beach – a sensational find
An endangered 4.2 meter shark has washed ashore in Ireland. A rare armored-tooth shark discovered by a Swiss tourist has attracted scientific interest.
Published
A rare species of shark has washed ashore on the coast of County Wexford, Ireland. Discovered by a Swiss tourist, several biologists (pictured) traveled as quickly as possible to search for the animal.
Twitter/Jenny Bortoluzzi/Kevin Purves
The goal for Nicholas Payne (red hat) and his colleagues is to take as many measurements and samples as possible before the sea rises and carries the shark out.
Twitter/Jenny Bortoluzzi/Kevin Purves
According to Payne, the shark weighed between 300 and 400 kilograms and was 4.2 meters long, making it a “really big female”. The maximum size that females of this species attain is about 4.5 meters.
Twitter/Jenny Bortoluzzi/Kevin Purves
Recently, another specimen of this species washed up on the southern English coast. It is highly unusual for two animals to appear in such a northern location in such a short period of time.
imago images/nature picture library
Shield-tooth sharks, also known as small-toothed sand tiger sharks, pose no threat to humans—Bain is not aware of a single instance of such a shark biting a human.
IMAGO/Nature Picture Library
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A Swiss tourist discovers a rare shark in Ireland.
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Several shark biologists rushed to the site as quickly as possible to examine the animal.
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This is the second sample that has already washed up in the north.
A The biggest The shieldtooth shark was found washed up in County Wexford, Ireland by a Swiss tourist. Scientists consider this to be the first official evidence A rare species is in Irish waters.
“go there immediately”
A Swiss tourist emailed Nicholas Payne, a shark biologist from Trinity College Dublin, who spotted him strolling along Gilmore Quay on Saturday. “When I saw the photographs, I immediately knew we had to get there urgently,” Payne told the BBC.
The Trinity team, which included Jenny Bordolucci and Haley Dolton, accompanied by scientist Kevin Purves, had to rush to see the shark before the tide went in. “My team and I quickly got to Wexford and made it in time for the tide,” recalls Payne.
A race against time
The goal now was to take as many measurements and samples as possible before the ocean surfaced and took the shark out. The scientific team is very interested in knowing what happened to the animal – why it died and why it appeared in this region.
According to Bain, the shark weighed between 300 and 400 kilograms and was a “really big female”. The maximum size that females of this species attain is about 4.5 meters. The washed animal was at its 4.2 meter upper end.
A second animal was found shortly after
Scientists are concerned that another specimen of the species has recently washed up on a beach in southern England. The appearance of two animals in such a short period of time in such a northern location is highly unusual and may indicate a dangerous trend. “We believe this is not the start of something big or that we’re going to see more deaths from this species,” Payne said.
Shield-tooth sharks, also known as small-toothed sand tiger sharks, pose no threat to humans—Bain is not aware of a single instance of such a shark biting a human. These animals are currently classified as “vulnerable” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Although they are not targeted for commercial fishing, they are threatened by overfishing or pollution.
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