A megamouth shark, also known as the wide-mouth shark, has washed ashore on the coast of the Philippines and was discovered by fishermen in Sorsogon province.
The deep-sea shark was found dead by local fishermen in Gubat, Sorsogon on June 11, as reported by Philippine news outlet Rappler. Photos of this shark have been attracting attention on social media.
Rare megamouth shark washed ashore in the Philippines. (Photo: Nonie Enolva/Facebook).
Officials from the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) in the Philippines are still unclear about the cause of the shark’s death. However, Nonie Enolva, a spokesperson for BFAR, stated that she suspects it may have been caught in fishing nets.
The photo of the shark was first posted by Enolva on Facebook on June 11. “We want to know and verify the cause of death of the megamouth shark,” she said.
Megamouth sharks are rarely seen by humans and can live up to 100 years. This species can dwell at depths exceeding 4,500 meters below the ocean’s surface and primarily lives in darkness.
It is one of the largest shark species, reaching lengths of nearly 5 meters and weighing around 1,225 kilograms. The megamouth shark that washed ashore near the village in the Philippines measured approximately 4.6 meters long.
According to Forbes, the megamouth shark was first discovered in 1976 by a research vessel from the U.S. Navy operating in the waters of Hawaii.
To date, only 269 sightings of megamouth sharks have been confirmed worldwide, according to the Florida Museum. The head of this creature is shaped like an onion and has an extremely wide mouth.
