Imogen Calderwood
A JURASSIC shark has washed up on a beach in Almeria.
The 3.8m six gill shark was found dead this week in the Punta Entinas-Sabinar nature park – next to Roquetas de Mar – according to the non-governmental organisation Equinac.
Shocked passersby called the Equinac team – known for rescuing beached marine creatures – after spotting the rotting corpse lying on its back near the shoreline.
Alexander Sanchez, of Equinac, said: “This species of shark has hardly evolved since the Jurassic period, over 150 million years ago, which makes it a living fossil from the time of the dinosaurs.
“It’s found in almost all the world’s seas, but sightings are getting more and more frequent because of trawlers and other fisheries.
“This one had a rope tied to its tail stock, indicating that a fisherman probably had to drag it out from a net,” he added.
But as a bottom-feeder the gill shark poses no threat to humans, preferring to scavenge for carcasses of dead animals at a depth of up to 2,000m.
The Almeria-based NGO – with a technical and veterinary team and a network of trained volunteers – rescues live sea creatures, as well as collecting vital scientific data from dead animals.
For more information about Equinac, visit www.facebook.com/promarequinac
