The stories of big ocean predators arriving on our British shores are increasing and each one always makes headlines. We're just not used to being conscious of a shark threat so evidence of their existance in the South West is always a bit of a surprise. This story below is from the Telegraph and whilst Thresher sharks patrol deeper water and this one looks to have just washed up, it might just have you checking the water for fins next time you paddle out!
A group of surfers spotted the 6ft thresher shark- a close relative of the deadly great white - beached at Hayle near St Ives in Cornwall on 25th Sept, and called the coastguard.
Thresher sharks are predators known for their very long, powerful tail which they use to stun their prey.
Dave Jarvis, from the Cornwall Wildlife Trust, said the sharks can cause serious injury to humans.
He said: "It's in good condition physically, so we're going to take some measurements and see if we can make some arrangements for post-mortem."
Thresher sharks feed on fish and are normally found in coastal waters of North America and Asia.
2 comments:
Oooh, this must be every surfer's greatest (or secret) fear. I always avoid dawn and dusk surfs. You do hear about shark attacks a bit here in Australia.
Are there any reports of a Thresher Biting humans? I have heard of divers being whacked by the tail, even dazed. Other then that I think they would be harmless. A dive buddy and I were off Palm Beach. I was taking off my gear and saw what looked like a Boomerang come out of the water. My friend screamed "Thresher", grabed his mask and jumped in to take a look. It circled the boat and headed off to the deep. Very Cool Day !!!!!!!!!! peace dupree
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