On Friday evening (August 29), the carcass of a female dusky shark (Hexanchus griseus) was discovered at Playa Can Pere Antoni in Palma. The rare deep-sea species showed a massive injury on its body. Numerous onlookers filmed and photographed the find near the congress center, and the images quickly spread on social media.
Rare deep-sea species near the coast
Dusky sharks usually live in great depths and are only rarely seen near the coast. Locals suspect that ocean currents carried the already dead shark to the beach. Striking was a large, curved wound that at first looked like a bite – but the exact cause remains unclear.
Recovery and first findings
Experts from the Fundación Palma Aquarium recovered the carcass and brought it to the facility for examination. Initial findings suggest that the shark likely died before being washed ashore. Further analyses will determine whether the cause of death was an attack by another marine animal, contact with a boat, or another external factor.
What is being examined now
Detailed examinations of the injury, possible sample collections, and a review to determine whether it is postmortem damage are planned. The results are expected to reveal whether a predator attack or human influences caused the death.
“The conspicuous wound will be forensically assessed. Only then can the cause of death be reliably determined.”
