A 14-foot thresher shark died after becoming stranded off โthe โcoast of Massachusetts, according to the New โEngland Coastal Wildlife Alliance (NECWA).โ The shark,โ a male, was discovered on โคa beach in Wellfleet onโ Tuesday โand could โฃnotโ be resuscitated despiteโข rescue efforts.
Thresher sharks frequently become stranded inโข Cape Cod Bay during theirโฃ annual southward migration, โoften becoming trapped and unable to navigate back to deeper waters. Prolonged exposureโ to โtheโฃ colder temperatures of the region can lead to cold stunning or cold shock, ultimately proving fatal. This incident underscores the challenges these vulnerable marine animals face during โmigrationโข andโข highlights the work of organizations dedicated to their rescueโค and conservation.
NECWA responded to the stranding and confirmed the sharkS death. “Aโฃ handful of threshers strand each season as they get trapped inside โขCape โคCod and are unableโ to continue their migration south,” said Wayne carson of NECWA. “If they stay in our area too long, then they will become cold-stunned orโฃ cold-shockedโฃ and die.”
Thresher sharks are characterizedโข by their exceptionally long tail fin, โwhich canโ be as โฃlong asโ theirโฃ body, and are typically โขfound in temperate and tropical oceans worldwide. They are not โขconsideredโ dangerous to humans and primarily feed โฃon schooling fish.
NECWA is a volunteer-runโข nonprofit organization. Those interested in supporting their work โคcan contributeโค atโข necwa.org.
