The carcass of a great white shark has washed up on a US beach following numerous sightings in recent weeks, before being pulled back out to sea.
The shark was found washed up on the beach in the village of Quogue, Long Island, New York, around 9.30am yesterday (Wednesday 20 July) after several sightings of a shark in the area.
Local police were called out to the area, but the shark washed back out to sea before it could be secured.
The shark, which measures around 7ft to 8ft in length, is believed to have been a great white.
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Frank Quevedo, executive director of the South Fork Natural History Museum Shark Research and Education Program, told the New York Post that the creature is only around half the size of a fully grown great white and believes it was between six and 10 years old.
The museum is now working alongside the police force in an attempt to locate the dead shark so they can carry out an autopsy.
He said: “Different species wash up on the beach quite often, but when it’s a vulnerable species like a great white we would perform a necropsy.
“A dead shark can provide more valuable data than a live shark.”
Quevedo said the shark’s body could provide ‘critical data points’ when it comes to conservation of sharks.
The state Department of Environmental Conservation has also said it is working on the case.
In a statement, Quogue Village Police said: “At this time we are cautioning swimmers and boaters in the area to be aware of this ongoing situation, and to keep distance to allow the Law Enforcement to monitor this event.”
Just hours before the shark was discovered, a surfer was bitten on his foot by a shark in Fire Island - the sixth attack in Long Beach this summer.
While the day before, New York City shut down Rockaway beaches after two sharks were spotted.
On Monday, Governor Kathy Hochul revealed an action plan to help deal with the rise in the number of shark sightings and help locals become more aware about danger signs.
Measures featured in the plan include an increase to the number of drone surveillance operators as well as widening the area they cover, a 25 percent increase in lifeguard staffing and sending out more boats to offer surveillance from the water.
Claire Reid