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A young basking shark, which stranded on a beach in west Cornwall in early August has been the first of its kind in England to be examined by veterinary pathologists. At over four metres long, the fish was so huge it wouldn't fit on the examination table and was too heavy to be weighed on their scales.
The male shark washed ashore at Sennen Cove and was reported to Cornwall Wildlife Trust’s Marine Strandings Network. Joanna Osborn, who was on duty that day, took the call and asked local volunteer Rory Goodall if he could go down to the beach to record the animal. Rory was unable to see any obvious cause of death and he found that, unusually, the specimen was very fresh in comparison to other basking sharks the Marine Strandings Network had recorded previously in Cornwall. It was, therefore, a prime candidate for a post-mortem examination.
"Usually the basking sharks we've recorded are very decomposed" said Joanna Osborn, "so we realised that this was a fantastic opportunity to learn more about this amazing fish which we see so often here in the summer, but about which so little is known."
"I checked with our partners at the Institute of Zoology, who are studying basking sharks as well as other marine species under the collaborative UK Cetacean Strandings Investigation Programme, and they were really pleased that we might have one to examine."
"Normally a team of Network volunteers would be mustered to lift an animal onto a trailer" added Rory, "but as you can imagine, we don't have the equipment or manpower to move a shark, even one this small! So we were very grateful to Sue Nicholls from Cornwall Council, who agreed that their Beach Management Team would transport the shark to the Veterinary Laboratories Agency (VLA) in Truro where it could be examined."
James Barnett, veterinary pathologist at the VLA conducted the examination and concluded: “This young male basking shark was in reasonable body condition and there was evidence that it had fed recently. It appeared to have a gastritis, as the stomach lining was inflamed. There was some damage to the gill slits, which could mean that it stranded alive. But there was no obvious reason for its death, although we're still waiting for other test results to come through. It was a very rare opportunity for us, and a first for Cornwall."
Basking sharks are the second largest fish in the world and are frequently seen around the coast of Cornwall, feeding on zooplankton as they cruise gracefully through the water. They can filter 6,000 litres of water through their gills every hour and grow up to 11 meters long.
The Trust welcomes reports of any stranded sharks, or other marine animals on the beach, to its Marine Strandings Hotline on 0845 201 2626. As sharks decompose quickly, the public are urged to call right away. For more information on strandings, the Marine Strandings Network has a website at www.cwtstrandings.org. and sightings of any live marine animals can be reported via the Trust's website at http://www.cornwallwildlifetrust.org.uk/.
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Thanks to Julie for donating this item to the Lower Treavers Hockey Team for next year!
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We finished 9th out of 11 in the summer league and had a lot of fun scrapping around against some pretty organised and determined sides. Thanks to Pete for all the organisation and all the players who turned up for a game.
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Which reminds me....Cornish Pirates take on Harlequins at the Stoop today in a pre-season friendly...a fixture which I am sure will en'capsulate' all that is great about rugby. For extra supplies...see Julie!
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Real or fake....? The coach isn't saying! Probably real blood, but almost certainly fake legs.
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Gareth Logan and Will Brawn, from Polzeath, are passionate about Cornwall’s marine life and have decided to take action to do something to help it. They will be walking and paddleboarding from Polzeath to Lands End at the beginning of September in a bid to raise money for Cornwall Wildlife Trust’s Marine Strandings Network. The boys are hoping the people of Cornwall will help them reach their £1000 target by sponsoring them at www.justgiving.com/savecornwallsdolphins.
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Will says: “Being a surfer, I spend a lot of time in the sea, and feel an attachment to the coastline. I’ve come to realise how fragile an environment it is, that really needs looking after. My friend Gareth and I wanted to combine our love of the sea, whilst helping it out at the same time. So this paddle seemed like perfect way to do that. Cornwall Wildlife Trust’s Marine Strandings Network does great work in helping our dolphins and other cetaceans, which we both really care about, so we thought it was a great charity to support.”
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The boys hope to have a suitable weather window between the 1st and 14th September when their walk and paddleboard challenge will take place. They already have sponsorship from Mountain Warehouse, Nineplus, Cornish Rock Tors and Wave Hunters and the use of a very special paddle board from Surf’s Up Surf School. Will will be using the same board as that used by James Cracknell in his cross Channel paddle with Surfs Up’s Pete Craske in 2005.
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Will says “At least I know the board’s been given a proper test run in similar conditions! So I feel confident my equipment will stand me in good stead, now it’s just down to my endurance and experience in the sea.”
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As well as completing the physical challenge they intend to play several gigs with their band, Droptone, along the way where they hope to generate more fundraising opportunities, including prize draws. Dates confirmed include The Tubestation, Polzeath on Monday 31st of August to kick the event off and the Old Albion Inn, Crantock, on Thursday 3rd of September. There will be more dates to follow. Everyone is invited to come along and support them at these events and help their fundraising efforts.
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Cornwall Wildlife Trust developed the Marine Strandings Network in response to the many dead dolphins that wash up on our beaches each year and the Network is now the recognised recorder of dead dolphins for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. The Network has a Strandings Hotline which is manned by volunteers 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to receive reports of dead dolphins from the public, the number to call if you find one is 0845 201 2626. The 120 strong volunteers which make up the Network record, photograph and collect vital data from the dead dolphins. They also secure and deliver the dolphins to Veterinary Laboratories Agency Truro for post mortem examination, to help determine the cause of death.
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Ruth Williams, Marine Conservation Officer for the Trust says,
“The information collected by the Marine Strandings Network and through the post mortem examinations is incredibly important for improving our understanding of the biology and ecology of our dolphin species, the threats they face and how we can reduce these.”
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Ruth continues, “It is brilliant that these two young men want to undertake such a big challenge with the sole aim of raising money to help the Trust’s Marine Strandings Network. We wish them well and will be closely following their progress along the coast, maybe they’ll be lucky enough to encounter dolphins along the route!”
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If you’d like to sponsor Will and Gareth and help them reach their £1000 target please go to www.justgiving.com/savecornwallsdolphins. All proceeds will be donated to Cornwall Wildlife Trust’s Marine Strandings Network. For more information about the challenge call Gareth on 07980 018959, or Will on 07961 880989 or visit http://www.cwtstrandings.org/
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