They are usually found in the Bay of Biscay, but this one washed up alive in Jersey
15:25, 09 Jun 2026Updated 15:31, 09 Jun 2026
The Americas,02-03-2025,1,Sand tiger shark surrounded by scad in the ‘Graveyard of the Atlantic’ off the coast of North Carolina ,BBC Studios/NBC,Tanya Houppermans
A massive rare shark usually found in warm waters has washed up in the English Channel.
The animal believed to be a Smalltooth sand tiger shark (Odontaspis ferox) is 600kg and 430cm in length.
They are usually found in the Bay of Biscay south to Morocco, including the Mediterranean Sea, the Azores, and the Canary Islands.
It washed up alive on Greve D’Azette beach, in St. Clement on Jersey in the Channel Islands on June 7.
It is a a rare and endangered species which has only been recorded in the UK a handful of times.
Authorities say it is the first time the species has been found in Jersey since records began.
Jersey Coastguard, the British Divers Marine Life Rescue and Marine Resources attended and, while the shark was showing small signs of life, it was unable to be revived.
The incoming tide then took the shark away until the next day (8 June), when the shark washed up again.
A postmortem, carried out by New Era vets, showed no obvious signs to the cause of its death.
The shark showed no signs of fisheries interaction or entanglement.
The Government of Jersey Marine Resources said identification is “yet to be confirmed through DNA analysis”.