'I think there should be warning signs' - 'Baby shark' washed up on Fylde beach sparks concern for mum
’A shark is a shark!’
The 3ft shark species was at the endge of the tide sparking interest - and concern - that there may be more, even bigger ones out there.
Kimblerley Magee, a mum of four, wondered what all the fuss was about and so walked over to find out.
She said: “ I saw a few people so I went over to have a look and someone said it was a shark.
“Its fin was moving and a fisherman nearby came over and put it back in the sea, he said it kept washing up - apparently there are loads of them about.
“It was around 3ft long but I think there should be signs around to warn people, there was nothing to alert us. It doesn’t matter what kind it was, a shark is a shark!”
The Gazette contacted Blackpool Angling Centre to find out what species of shark it could have been.
Expert John Nixon was confident it would have been one of four species - Starry Smoothound, Tope Pup, Dogfish or a Bullhuss.
He said: “It would most likely have been a Starry Smoothhound. They are starting to appear now, once the sea flattens after winter and the temperatures rise they come to our waters.
“A 3ft one is a half decent adolescent but there’s no need for concern, they are not dangerous.”
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What are Starry Smoothounds?
Starry Smoothounds are small, harmless species of a houndshark and are famous for the numerous small, white spots, scattered across the back, resembling a starry night sky.
They are widespread in the northeastern Atlantic Ocean and are abundant around the coastal waters of the British Isles.
Have they washed up on our beaches before?
This isn’t the first time this species has washed up on the Fylde Coast.
A couple of years ago, a family from Manchester holidaying in the resort for the half-term - literally the same time of the year - found a deceased shark
The family excitedly searched the internet to identify the shark species, which they believed was a smooth hound-shark.
While they can grow up to 6ft 6inches (200cm), their usual maximum size is 4ft-5ft, with a weight of around 25lbs.
Interesting fact
The common smooth-hound shark will group in large numbers, like a pack of dogs. This is why they are called 'hounds'.