News24.com | Juvenile Thresher shark washes ashore on Sunset Beach

The Thresher shark that washed ashore last week.PHOTO: Alex Aitkenhead

Beachgoers got quite a scare when they spotted a juvenile shark on Sunset Beach in Cape Town last week.

Local surfer and photographer Alex Aitkenhead came across the aquatic animal and says it is not often that we get to see this remarkable shark.

“This is a Thresher shark, using its long tail to stun its prey and they then consume it. Not sure why this juvenile washed up on our shores at Sunset Beach,” Aitkenhead says.

Thresher sharks are large lamniform sharks of the family Alopiidae found in all temperate and tropical oceans of the world; the family contains three extant species, all within the genus Alopias.

More about the Thresher

All three thresher shark species have been listed as vulnerable to extinction by the World Conservation Union since Thresher sharks are large lamniform sharks of the family Alopiidae found in all temperate and tropical oceans of the world; the family contains three extant species, all within the genus Alopias. All three thresher shark species have been listed as vulnerable to extinction by the World Conservation Union, Aitkenhead says.

Although this is a somewhat normal occurrence for aquatic animals to wash ashore, mystery still surrounds the sudden spike in washed-up non-aquatic animals on beaches recently.

TygerBurger previously reported of washed-up animals (“Animals wash ashore”, 1 February) and many speculated that animal rituals are the leading theory behind the mystery.

The Cape of Goodhope SPCA also investigated the rare incidents, but no concrete answers were found.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred

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