A giant shark has been spotted washed up on a UK beach – leaving beachgoers in shock.
The basking shark, sometimes known as a “Toothless Bruce,” is the second largest fish in our oceans.
At first, it was thought to be a whale, until Yolanda McCall, from Ayrshire, Scotland, contacted British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDLMR) and Scottish Marine Animal Stranding Scheme (SMASS) teams.
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The shark, which measures a whopping 24ft, was sadly pronounced dead at the scene on Maidens Beach on Sunday evening (30 June 2024).
“It was tangled in a long loop of rope, in its mouth and caught around its tail,” Yolanda told What’s The Jam.
“The creature was bobbing around in the water and we couldn’t tell if it was dead or alive.
“I wanted to try to help it, if it was alive and floundering, so I put on a wetsuit and got in the water to check.
“Sadly it was dead, but it looked very complete, a recent death.
“Maybe it got tired trying to free itself.”
Officials, including the coastguard, identified the animal as a basking shark.
She added: “After the tide went out, we could see the full beautiful big creature.
“[It’s] very sad.”
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