Dozens of sharks wash up on UK beach as warning issued to locals
An image of starry-smooth-hound sharks
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Nearly 30 starry-smooth-hound sharks have been washed up at a beach in a popular UK seaside town.
Dozens of elasmobranch fish were sprawled out along Denbighshire’s Prestatyn beach in North Wales on Tuesday morning.
Prestatyn has been a hotbed for shark sightings in years gone by, with an expert warning a Great White Shark could be swimming through the Irish Sea after a porpoise was found with huge bite marks in 2021.
Holidaymakers were also left stunned back in 2008 after the remains of a tiger shark were recovered.
An image of a starry-smooth-hound shark
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However, Tuesday’s sightings have led to a fresh warning for beach-goers.
Marine expert Gem Simmons said those visiting Prestatyn beach should avoid touching or moving the washed-up sharks.
Simmons told the BBC: “To find one or two is normal but so many is worrying.”
She added that her attempts to take samples from the dozens of sharks had been abruptly halted by hungry herring gulls.
Prestatyn beach
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Starry-smooth-hound sharks, also known as gummy sharks, lack sharp teeth.
The sharks predominantly feed on shellfish and crustaceans.
Starry-smooth-hound sharks weigh no more than five kilograms.
They inhabit shallow UK coastal waters and measure between one and 1.5 metres in length.
Prestatyn central beach
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A number of other starry-smooth-hound sharks have been washed up between Rhyl and Talacre.
Prestatyn, which inspired Philip Larkin’s romantic short poem ‘Sunny Prestatyn’, is an extremely popular tourist destination in North Wales.
It was also once the home to some notable figures, including former Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott and ex-Countdown co-host Carol Voderman.
However, the recent scattering of starry-smooth-hound sharks comes shortly after a six foot shark was washed up on Lepe beach in Hampshire.