Shark washes up on Almeria beach

Yesterday (Monday) a 3.8m six-gill shark was found washed up at a beach in an Almeria Natural Park.

The shark, which was quite badly decomposed, was discovered in Punta Entinas-Sabinar Natural Park, near the coastal city of Roquetas de Mar.

The six gill shark hasn’t evolved much since the Jurassic period, meaning that the species is something of a living fossil and hasn’t altered much in over 150 million years.  

Wildlife rescue non-profit Equinac went to the scene to take photographs of the shark and record data.

The six-gill shark is a slow-mover and generally scavenges for carcasses, unlike its Tiger shark and Great White cousins which are known for being highly-efficient killing machines.

The species is found in almost all of the world’s seas – usually at a depth of over 2000m. However, sightings are becoming more frequent because of trawlers and other fisheries.

NGO’s Equinac’s Alexander Sánchez said: “This one had a rope tied to its tail stock, indicating that a fisherman probably had to drag it out from a net, something that Equinac has also observed with cetaceans (whales and dolphins).

“Despite its appearance and size, this animal doesn’t pose any threats to people, and no-one should be intimidated to get back in the water this summer!”

Almeria-based Equinac rescue beached marine animals and also collect scientific data from dead creatures.  

For more information about Equinac, visit www.facebook.com/promarequinac