On the evening of 7 June, British Divers Marine Life Rescue received a call from the Coastguard regarding a stranding of a shark at Grève d’Azette, Jersey.
Marine Mammal Medics were tasked to the scene and found a 600kg, 4metre long shark stranded in a tidal pool which died shortly after their arrival. While BDMLR’s primary focus is the rescue and welfare of marine mammals such as seals, dolphins and whales, we are receiving an increasing number of calls to incidents involving large stranded sharks where there is little infrastructure to manage them.
The animal was identified as a smalltooth sand tiger shark. It is an elusive and deep-water species, typically found in warm and tropical oceans globally. They are also listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List and are considered naturally uncommon, with minimal research into the species to date.
The first confirmed records in the UK and Irish waters of this species were only published in 2023, when three individual sharks were recorded in the English Channel and Celtic Sea. Their sightings may be linked to warmer than average sea temperatures contributing to a northward shift in the species’ range.
The shark was recovered by DFI and a post-mortem examination has been carried out by New Era Vets with initial findings including an empty stomach and parasites. Further analysis is ongoing into the cause of the stranding and the life history of the shark.
As with all strandings, the findings will help improve the understanding of these amazing species and contribute to wider knowledge of their occurrence in our waters, as well as expand on the understanding of the threats facing marine wildlife in globally changing oceans.
We would like to thank all those involved, especially the Jersey Coastguard, Marine Resources, Durrell, New Era Vets, the Department for Infrastructure and the reporting members of the public.
Photos by Theresa Ruellan/Durrell Zoo
