London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Sunday, Apr 20, 2025

Wexford shark: Rare 14ft fish washes up on beach

Wexford shark: Rare 14ft fish washes up on beach

A huge 14ft (4.2m) smalltooth sand tiger shark has washed up in County Wexford in the Republic of Ireland.

Scientists believe this is the first official record of this rare species in Irish waters.

A Swiss tourist emailed shark biologist Nicholas Payne at Trinity College Dublin after he discovered it while walking at Kilmore Quay on Saturday.

"As soon as I saw the photos, I knew we had to get down there urgently," said Dr Payne.

The Trinity team, including Jenny Bortoluzzi and Haley Dolton, and accompanied by UCD scientist Kevin Purves, rushed against the incoming tide to see the shark.

"Myself and my team quickly scrambled and drove down to Wexford and we made it just in time as the tide was coming in," he said.

"We had to rush to take as many measures and samples of the animal as possible before the tide took it out."

Smalltooth sand tiger sharks, which pose no risk to people, are currently assessed as "vulnerable" by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature.

While not specifically targeted by commercial fisheries, they may face threats such as bycatch, or from pollution.

The distinctive snout and teeth help distinguish the smalltooth sand tiger shark from other species


The team is keen to learn what happened to it - why it died and why it appeared in this region.

"It's a rare opportunity to have access to this species and to do what we can in terms of learning more information in trying to get something good out of this sad event."

Dr Payne said the shark weighed between 300 and 400kgs, a "really large female".

"Even though it was dead, for us to be so close to it and measuring and looking at it - it is still awe inspiring for us to see those amazing animals - albeit it a little bit sad - that it was not swimming around out there."

Maximum recorded size for females of this species is about 15ft, (4.5m) putting this Irish specimen - which was a female - at the upper end of their size limits.


'Not aggressive animals'


A fortnight ago, another of the species washed up on the south English coast and Dr Payne said there were concerns about seeing two in a short space of time in such a northerly location.

They intend to make contact with the marine biologists in the UK to share information about the two sharks.

Dr Payne said these sharks are not aggressive animals and there has not been a single recorded incidence of a human being bitten.

"If there's any worry to be had it's more probably from the shark's perspective because seeing two animals appear so close together both in space and time - given that they are normally not observed in this region - is a little bit concerning from our point of view as shark biologists and conservationists," he said.

"We're hopeful it's not the start of something or that we are going to see more mortalities in this species."

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
This is Vienna, Austria in 2025.
Boeing Jet Returns to US from China Amid Tariff War
Canadian Federal Election: Candidates' Positions on US-Canada Relations and Donald Trump
Resentencing Hearing for Menendez Brothers Who Killed Their Parents Delayed Amid Legal Disputes
Australian Woman Gives Birth To Stranger's Baby In IVF Mix-up
US Sets Deadline for Russia-Ukraine Peace Deal Brokerage
Italy Introduces 'Sex Rooms' in Prisons for Inmates
California Launches Legal Challenge Against Trump Administration's Tariffs
"Groundless": China Dismisses Zelensky's Claims It's Supplying Arms To Russia
UK Psytrance Festival Cancelled Amid Local Protests Over Noise Concerns
French Far-Right Writer Renaud Camus Denied Entry to UK
UK Police Force Updates Search Policy for Trans Individuals in Custody
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni Meets with Donald Trump to Discuss EU-US Trade Tensions
Canada's Federal Party Leaders Engage in Final Debate Ahead of General Election
Ukraine and US Sign Outline of Minerals Deal
Fast Food Chain Refuses to Apologize for Online Comment About Katy Perry's Space Voyage
New York Attorney General Letitia James Faces Criminal Referral for Alleged Mortgage Fraud
Mark Cuban admits support for Trump executive order: ‘Gotta be honest’
US Senator Meets with Deported Immigrant in El Salvador Amid Custody Dispute
U.S. State Department Raises El Salvador’s Safety Ranking, Making It Safer Than France and Other European Nations
UK Government Assumes Control of British Steel's Scunthorpe Plant Amid Shutdown Threat
UK MP Wera Hobhouse Denied Entry to Hong Kong During Family Visit
Bangladesh Issues Arrest Warrant for UK MP Tulip Siddiq
China Urges United States to Cancel Tariffs Amid Escalating Trade Tensions
The Empire’s USD Pyramid Scheme Is Working Brilliantly—So Why ‘Fix’ It?
China Raises Tariffs on U.S. Goods to 125% Amid Escalating Trade Dispute
Elon Musk Reports $150 Billion in Projected Government Savings Amid Fraud Investigations
U.S. and Panama Finalize Defense Agreements Amid Canal Access and Chinese Influence Concerns
China Stands Firm Amidst Trade Disputes with the US: A Factual Analysis
U.S. Tariff Escalation Sparks Global Trade Tensions
Helicopter crashes in NYC with four people on board.
Australia Dismisses China's Suggestion to Collaborate Against US Tariffs
EU Postpones Response to US Tariffs
The Trump Administration is contemplating removing Chinese companies from U.S. stock exchanges.
Violent Incidents and Public Safety Concerns Escalate in London and County Durham
UK MP Arrested on Suspicion of Rape and Child Sex Offences
UK Gears Up to Respond to US Tariffs with Industrial Strategies and Trade Initiatives
‘Rocky’ star Dolph Lundgren and his wife Emma Krokdal bask in the Miami sunshine following the actor’s lengthy health struggles.
Spain Encounters Countrywide Protests as Housing Crisis Intensifies
Alisha Lehmann's Modeling Campaign and Public Controversy Stir Debate Ahead of UEFA Women's Euro
U.S. Firms with Major International Revenue Exposure in Light of New Tariffs
President Trump Calls on the Federal Reserve to Reduce Interest Rates in Light of New Tariffs
President Trump Prolongs TikTok Sale Deadline by 75 Days
Global Markets Dive Amid Rising U.S.-China Trade Conflicts
British comedian Russell Brand faces charges of rape and several sexual assaults.
Kanye West Reveals in a New Song That His Wife Bianca Censori Has Departed from Him
Actor Jean-Claude Van Damme Accused of Having Sex with Human Trafficking Victims
Tom Cruise Pays Tribute to Val Kilmer at CinemaCon
Europe Pursues Digital Autonomy Amidst Transatlantic Strains
OpenAI Lands Unprecedented $40 Billion Funding.
×