On Friday evening (29 August), the carcass of a bluntnose sixgill shark (Hexanchus griseus) was discovered on Playa Can Pere Antoni in Palma. The rare deep-sea species showed a massive injury to its body. Numerous onlookers filmed and photographed the find near the conference centre; the images spread across social networks.
Rare deep-sea species near the coast
Bluntnose sixgill sharks normally live at great depths and are rarely sighted near the coast. Residents suspect that ocean currents carried the already dead shark to the shore. A large, crescent-shaped wound was noticeable, initially resembling a bite, though the exact cause remains unclear.
Recovery and initial findings
Experts from the Fundación Palma Aquarium recovered the carcass and took it to the facility for examination. Initial findings suggest it is likely that the shark died before being washed ashore. Further analysis will determine whether an attack by another marine animal, boat contact, or another external factor caused the death.
What is now being examined
Detailed examinations of the injury are planned, including possible sampling and a review to determine if it was post-mortem damage. Results should reveal whether a predator attack or human influences led to the death.
“The distinctive wound will be forensically assessed. Only then can the cause of death be reliably determined.”