Killer Shark 10 Feet Long Found On Wales Beach — After Swimming 7,000 Miles From Argentina

A killer Mako shark, one of the ocean’s most vicious predators, was found dead on a popular beach in Wales — after apparently swimming almost 7,000 miles from its natural habitat off the coast of Argentina — scaring swimmers there who said they’d be afraid to go in the water if the weather were still in season for beachgoing.

The deceased Mako shark was estimated to be a frightening 10 feet long. Mako sharks are believed to be the fastest swimming sharks in the ocean, but generally confine themselves to the warmer waters off of South America, the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico.

The Mako shark is also found in the Pacific Ocean, enjoying the warm waters off the coast of San Diego, California and similar Pacific habitats.

A Mako shark attacks its prey by prowling in deep waters, then swimming upward at about 30 mph, surprising its usual victims such as squid and octopus.

But Mako sharks are not above attacking human beings. Over the past three decades, 42 Mako shark attacks on people have gone down in the books. In three of those Mako shark attacks, the victims have perished from their wounds.

Fishermen on Barmouth Beach in Snowdonia National Park in northern Wales found the dead shark on Friday, but because there were few people on the beach at this time of year, how long the shark had been lying there remained uncertain.

Wales is not accustomed to the presence of the giant, deadly sharks in its waters.

“It has got that feeling of Jaws and Amity Island,” said photographer Gwion Leggett, who snapped pictures of the deceased shark. “A lot of people will be hesitant to get back in the water after this. Maybe it is fortunate it has happened at this time of year so people can have some time to get over it. If it had happened in summer then I think a lot less people and holidaymakers would be in the water.”

The Mako shark is classified as a threatened species. In addition to the 42 attacks on human beings by Mako sharks between 1980 and 2010, the speedy, killer sharks attacked boats 20 times during that time span.

But experts say that Mako sharks rarely target human beings specifically. The attacks on people generally happen when the sharks become ensnared in fishing lines and are unable to escape.

Despite the species being threatened, Mako shark meat can still be found in some American supermarkets.

How the Mako shark that washed up on Barmouth Beach in Wales got there remains a mystery.