Surfers got a "nasty shock" at discovering a 12ft shark that had been washed up on a beach in Cornwall.
- The thresher shark was found on Hayle beach by the surfers who thought it was a dolphin.
It had a 6ft long body, with a tail of the same length, and is estimated to weigh around 440lb. - Dave Jarvis, from Cornwall Wildlife Trust Marine Strandings Network, has formally identified the shark that was found on Wednesday.
"The surfers who found it thought it was a dolphin so they got a nasty shock when they got closer and saw it was a shark," he said. - "It was in good condition, there were no marks on it so we don't know how it died."
Thresher sharks are native to UK waters but it is unusual for them to be washed up in this way. - Mr Jarvis said he could not think of another that had washed up in recent years in Cornwall.
- "They don't pose any threat to humans, if they did decide to go for you it would take a lump out of you but they only have a small mouth and two rows of teeth so its not like Jaws," he said.
- "I've never heard of anyone being attacked by one."Thresher sharks can grow up to 20ft in length.
- In 2007 a trawler fisherman caught a 16ft thresher shark off the coast off Land's End, Cornwall.
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