One thing is stumbling across a washed up dolphin, and quite another is bumping into a shark nearly four metres long, even if it is dead.

That was the case on beach in Molinar (Balearic Islands) where a 3.8m-long blunt-nose, six-gill shark (hexanchus griseus) was found. The Centro de Recuperación de Fauna Marina del Palma Aquarium was immediately informed whilst municipal workers waited to cart it away.

This type of shark is a deep-water bottom dweller (90 metres) and has a dorsal fin near its tail. They do come up to the surface at night and return just before dawn. It also has the unusual arrangement – for sharks – of six gills.

Although they do grow to large dimensions, they are not known to attack humans, so they’re not that dangerous, especially when dead…

(News: Molinar, Palma Mallorca, The Balearic Islands)