Small Shark Found Barely Alive on North Oregon Coast

Published 09/16/2011

(Sunset Beach, Oregon) – It's the third time in two weeks such a shark has washed up – and the second time this week Seaside Aquarium rushed to a beach situation involving some sort of creature. (All photos taken by Tiffany Boothe of Seaside Aquarium)

On Wednesday – the same day aquarium staff responded to a huge Elephant seal corpse – staff went to the aid of a Salmon shark found struggling in the surf at Sunset Beach, just north of Seaside. The aquarium’s Tiffany Boothe said they quickly placed the shark into a container and then raced it to the aquarium in hopes of reviving it.

“Once at the aquarium, staff did what they could to revive the shark but it was obvious that the shark was not going to survive the night,” Boothe said. “Typically, sharks found struggling in the surf have something very wrong with them and the likelihood of survival is minuscule.”

Earlier that day, aquarium staffed dealt with a larger-than-usual Elephant seal.

The shark was four feet long and a juvenile – which are commonly seen along the Oregon coast. They closely resemble Great White sharks and are often mistaken as baby Great Whites.

Differences between the two can be small, but Boothe said they can be told apart by their teeth and their caudal keels (which is a horizontal ridge found on one of the back fins of a shark).

Salmon sharks can get quite large, up to 11 feet.

Two other salmon sharks were found on the north Oregon coast in the last two weeks. One was at Silver Point, just south of Cannon Beach, and another was seen wriggling in the surf at Manzanita – also still barely alive.

These sharks pose no risk to humans, including surfers.

The latest shark found at Sunset Beach will be given a necropsy by local high school kids. Some tissue and muscle samples will be taken to Stanford University in Palo Alto, California for an ongoing study being conducted by graduate students there.

Upcoming Area Highlights

October 1. Rock the Beach benefit walk/ run. Scenic 10k and 5K routes. A benefit for the Cannon Beach preschool and children’s center. $10-$20. 10:30 a.m. Cannon Beach, Oregon. www.cbchildren.org.

October 6. Harvest Fest. Multicourse German dinner with beer pairings. A benefit for Cannon Beach Backpack Program and Food Pantry. 6 p.m. $60. Cannon Beach, Oregon. 503-436-1197.

October 11. Seaside Kids Pancake Feed. Fundraiser for Seaside Kids.
5-7 p.m. Seaside Civic and Convention Center. 415 First Ave. Seaside, Oregon.

October 16. Dog Show on the Beach. Contests include Cutest Puppy, Fluffiest Dog, Frisbee Catch, and Best Handshake. A benefit for the Clatsop County Animal Shelter. Registration at 9 a.m. Cannon Beach, Oregon. www.surfsand.com/pets.asp.

October 22. Seaside’s Got Talent. Local talent show sponsored by the Seaside Chamber of Commerce. 6-8:30 p.m. Seaside Civic and Convention Center. 415 First Ave. Seaside, Oregon. 503-738-6391.

Below: Seaside

More About Seaside lodging, hotels motels.....

More About Seaside dining, restaurants.....

LATEST OREGON COAST NEWS STORIES

Back to Oregon Coast

Contact Advertise on BeachConnection.net