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Frozen shark washes up on Massachusetts beach amid sub-zero temperatures

Porbeagle shark landed on the icy sands of Cold Storage Beach in Dennis on 4 February.

Lee Bullen
Tuesday 07 February 2023 18:22 GMT
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A frozen shark washed up on a beach in Massachusetts on 4 February
A frozen shark washed up on a beach in Massachusetts on 4 February (Jam Press/@capeimagesbyamie/LOCA)

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A frozen shark has washed up on a Massachusetts beach during a cold blast in sub-zero conditions.

Photographer Amie Medeiros spotted the dead animal - believed to be a porbeagle shark - after it landed on the icy sands of Cold Storage Beach in Dennis on 4 February.

Unsettling images show injuries near the dead shark’s fin that are suspected to have contributed to its death.

Speaking to Jam Press, Ms Meideros said it was “not what I was expecting to find on my frozen winter adventure.”

Locals praised the photographer’s images while sharing sadness for the shark’s fate.

Photographer Amie Medeiros spotted a frozen shark on a beach during a cold blast in sub-zero conditions
Photographer Amie Medeiros spotted a frozen shark on a beach during a cold blast in sub-zero conditions (Jam Press/@capeimagesbyamie/LOCA)

“I feel for this unfortunate shark,” one said. “I am sorry this shark lost its life because of the severe cold weather.”

The National Weather Service said temperatures in the area dropped below 0 Fahrenheit (-18C) on 4 February with wind chills reaching -25F (-32C).

On 6 February, local biologist J Chisholm said he went to measure the dead shark to compare it to another porbeagle that washed up in the area a week before.

“Unfortunately, someone took the tail, dorsal fin, pectoral fin, and what was left of the teeth,” he said.

In the summer, the Cape Cod peninsula saw a record number of shark sightings that caused multiple beach shutdowns and even several minor attacks.

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