An urgent warning has been issued after a basking shark was found washed up on the shore at a UK beach.
The creature, which appeared to be entangled in a rope, was discovered on Maidens Beach, in Ayrshire, Scotland on Sunday (June 30), with footage of the incident quickly making its way onto social media. Basking sharks, an endangered species known to inhabit the Scottish coast, are the second-largest shark species and can reach lengths of up to 8.5m.
Yolanda McCall, who was nearby when the shark was found, said: “I was staying near Maidens on Sunday evening and a friend told me there was a whale getting washed up on the beach.
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(Image: @Ellie MacLennan/Facebook)
“I contacted Culzean Country Park rangers and they gave me some numbers to call. I called them, and my husband also notified the Coastguard.
“It was bobbing around in the water and we couldn’t tell if it was dead or alive. I wanted to try to help if it was alive and floundering, so I put on a wetsuit and got in the water to check.”, reports the Daily Record.
Unfortunately, the shark was already dead, “but it looked very complete, a recent death,” she added, and said: “It was tangled in a long loop of rope, in its mouth and caught around its tail.”
She speculated that the shark may have exhausted itself trying to break free from the rope. “Maybe it got tired trying to free itself. Very sad. A coastguard team attended and confirmed it dead.”
(Image: @Ellie MacLennan/Facebook)
Once the tide receded, the full size of the creature became apparent, and it is thought that the beast was around 11ft long.
Calum Duncan, the head of policy and advocacy at the Marine Conservation Society, expressed his sorrow at the loss, and said: “Basking Sharks are the second largest fish in the ocean and enjoy feeding in our plankton-rich waters every summer.
“It is tragic to see one of these fantastic animals washed up on a beach and we’d recommend that anyone who comes across a dead marine animal to contact the Scottish Marine Animal Stranding Scheme who have teams of volunteers and scientists who will be able to take samples to work out why this incredible creature ended up on the beach.”
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