300+ pound thresher shark washes up on Washington coast

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Ocean Park beachgoers got a surprise Friday night when a large thresher shark washed up on the beach — the second one in the past month.

Seaside Aquarium staff said they were alerted Friday night a shark had washed up on the Washington beach. The shark was reportedly alive when staff arrived, but died shortly after.

Staff and volunteers worked together to lift the shark (which weighed between 300 and 365 pounds) and move it. In what was likely a once-in-a-lifetime experience, the shark was put on display for beach guests to view. Staff even performed a necropsy in front of beach goers.

The question still remains as to why these sharks have been washing up on the coast. There are no answers yet, but officials are investigating possible causes.

Thresher sharks live a long time, from 19 to 50 years, and can grow up to 18 feet long. They are named for their long, scythe-like tail, which they use to swat and stun fish before preying on them, according to NOAA.

Threshers live in both the Atlantic and Pacific. In the Eastern Pacific Ocean, thresher sharks are found from Goose Bay, British Columbia south to Baja California. And they migrate seasonally between Oregon/Washington and southern California/Baja Peninsula, Mexico.

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