Beachgoers were stunned when they spotted a 15ft monster shark carcass floating close to shore.
The huge fish was first spotted off Ålbæk, Denmark, on 6 August.
On Saturday (8 August) morning, it was found dead in the sea approximately 1km north of Ålbæk Harbour.
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Photos show how a digger was needed to drag the enormous carcass across the sand.
The specimen was dissected at the North Sea Oceanarium in Hirtshals on Wednesday (12 August) in a bid to solve the mystery of its death.
The examination indicated that it was an apparently healthy 4.7m-long female, probably aged between 10 and 15.
That is no age for a basking shark, which can live for up to 50 years, as reported by Need To Know.
Five parasites were found in its intestines, and a few more on the outside of its body, but sharks are generally robust animals that can easily tolerate hosting a small number of parasites.
The parasites will now be examined more closely, as they may help reveal where the shark had been travelling.
The contents of its stomach likewise indicated that the shark had been in good feeding condition and had eaten recently, meaning it had neither starved nor become weakened due to a lack of food.
But the big question – what killed it – remains unanswered.
Kristina Ydesen, chief biologist at the oceanarium, said: “We did not find an obvious cause of death.
“On the other hand, we have obtained a great deal of valuable material, which can now be examined more closely.
“It may only be once in my career as a biologist that I get the opportunity to dissect a basking shark, so it has been a very special experience.”
The basking shark (Cetorhinus maximus) is the world’s second-largest living shark species.
It feeds by filtering plankton and small organisms from seawater and is only occasionally seen in Danish waters.
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