A rare ancient shark that can live for up to 500 years has washed up on a beach – leaving stunned locals in disbelief.
The eerie six-foot Greenland shark is one of the longest-living vertebrates on Earth, with some specimens surviving for centuries.
These deep-sea giants can grow to a jaw-dropping 19ft – making them bigger than a VW Transporter van.
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The creature was discovered on the shore in Finisklin, County Sligo, Ireland, as reported Need To Know.
Beachgoers Hammad Chaudhry and James Winters O’Donnell made the grim find on 11 April.
At first, the animal was thought to be a dead basking shark and was reported to the Irish Whale & Dolphin Group.
But experts later confirmed it was in fact a rare Greenland shark – believed to be around 150 years old.
Due to its “very developed claspers”, specialists believe the male shark was close to reaching maturity before it became stranded.
The mysterious species usually lives at depths of up to 7,000ft, preferring icy, deep ocean waters.
The carcass has now been collected by the Natural History Museum for further study and examination.
A spokesperson for the Irish Whale & Dolphin Group said: “The Greenland Shark is the longest living vertebrate in the world with a life span of several centuries; the oldest recorded specimen was over half a millennium in age.
“A large species, they typically reach lengths of 4 to 6 metres.
“Little is known about the elusive Greenland Shark in Ireland, native to deep and remote waters of the Arctic and North Atlantic, however they are known to reach sexual maturity around 150 years of age and give birth their pups live after a gestation period of 8 to 18 years.
“At 2.87 metres, this male individual in Sligo had very developed claspers, perhaps on the brink of maturity.”
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