Surfer finds endangered shark on Watch Hill beach

WATCH HILL, R.I. (WLNE) — A surfer from Narragansett was on East Beach in Watch Hill Wednesday when he saw a large female porbeagle shark washed up on shore.

“I have the beach permit for my vehicle so I was enjoying the sun and driving around and saw it on the beach and thought, ‘That is not normal,’” Corey Favino said.

Following the discovery Favino called the Department of Environmental Management and Mystic Aquarium in Connecticut.

The Atlantic Shark Institute came to the beach the same day to get the almost nine foot shark.

The institute’s executive director said time was not on their side since the tides could have swept the shark away.

“We looked at it and this shark was almost nine feet long, several hundred pounds, and it became obvious that we were going to have to do a necropsy on the beach or we were going to have our hands full getting it off the beach,” Executive Director Jon Dodd said.

Th porbeagle stays in New England during the winter because it prefers colder waters.

“As a surfer and a native of Rhode Island I have a lot of respect and admiration for the ocean so it was sad to see, it was interesting to be that close to one, a little terrifying since I could see the teeth, but it was more sad than anything to see an animal washed up,” added Favino.

Dodd explained this discovery was a perfect example of citizen involvement, which helps with research and findings.

The necropsy of the shark, similar to an autopsy, will begin in late February at the National Oceanic Atmospheric Association in Narragansett to discover how the shark ended up on the beach.