17-Foot Great White Shark Found Dead on Beach in England

The body of a 17-foot great white shark has washed up on a southern English beach, one of the most northerly sightings ever of the predator, according to a marine biologist who inspected the remains.

“It is rather alarming to find this type of shark in these waters. This is an extremely dangerous species which is very rarely seen north of the Azores Islands,” Australian Michael Hanson from Exeter University, southwest England, said on Thursday.

Hanson said the presence of the shark, which was found about four miles south of the English Channel resort town of Torbay, could be explained by climatic changes in the Atlantic in recent years which have brought new marine species into northern waters.

“It was probably a lone shark but there’s a possibility there could be other types of dangerous sharks in these waters. It’s a major find because these animals are the ultimate predators and the injuries they can inflict are horrific,” Hanson added.