Shark in amber

  

Gordon wrote this afternoon to let me know he and a few other folks from Madrone Audubon had come across a small shark at Doran Beach this morning (9 September 2020).  He took a couple of photos and kindly agreed to let me share them with you.

Not only do these photos document an interesting shark stranding, but they also show the unusual amber light in Bodega Bay and elsewhere today caused by the intense smoke from so many large wildfires.

Salmon Sharks (Lamna ditropis) look very similar to White Sharks (Carcharodon carcharias), but they have a shorter snout, the white coloration on the underside extends above the pectoral fin (just behind the gills), and there is a double-keel at the base of the tail fin.  I can't quite see that keel in these photos, but the other characteristics look right for Salmon Shark.

During the late summer and fall, we often receive a few reports of stranded juvenile Salmon Sharks.  Sadly, not too long ago it was discovered that these stranded sharks often have a bacterial brain infection that causes meningoencephalitis (which may result in disorientation).

Here's another photo illustrating the size of the shark, with a pair of footprints for scale.  It appears that the shark was only ~4 feet long or so.

 

 

Many thanks to Gordon for sharing this interesting observation and his photos!