A FOUR-METRE shark was still alive when it was found washed up on Greve d’Azette beach recently.
Representatives for the Coastguard, the British Divers Marine Life Rescue and the government’s Marine Resources attended the scene after a member of the public reported the sighting.
It was reported that the shark was showing “small signs of life” but was “unable to be revived at the scene”.
Alex Plaster, marine science and research manager for the government confirmed it was a smalltooth sand tiger shark. This species, despite having rows of sharp teeth, is not known to behave aggressively towards people and is usually found in deep waters around rocky seabeds, continental slopes and underwater mountains.
Three sharks of this species, which feeds on fish, rays, squid and other marine animals, have been found washed-up in the UK within the last three years, with one surfacing in Ireland, and the other two on the south coast of England.
However, Mr Plaster confirmed that this has never been recorded in Jersey before, since “records began”.
When the shark first washed up, it was “very close to death”, but “not actually dead”, and washed up after being left with the incoming tide.
A post-mortem examination was carried out at New Era vets to find a cause of death, however “no obvious reasons” were found and the shark showed “no signs of fisheries interaction or entanglement”.
It was 4.3 metres long, and weighed nearly 600 kilograms.
The shark was later collected by the Infrastructure Department and taken to the government knacker’s yard in Trinity – a carcass disposal services usually for livestock.
