Upon hearing about a deceased Greenland shark washing up on the coast of northwestern Ireland, Emma Murphy, a zoology curator at the National Museum of Ireland, was astonished.
These massive and ancient sea creatures are famously hard to find, usually residing in the remote depths of the Arctic and North Atlantic oceans.
“I was in disbelief,” Murphy told host Nil Kӧksal from As It Happens. “We were incredibly thrilled.”
The National Museum stated that the species is exceptionally rare in Irish waters, marking the first time one has been stranded on the Irish coast.
Even as researchers in Ireland examine the remains of the Greenland shark, a scientist suggests that the species may be more widespread than commonly thought.
Oldest vertebrate in the world
A passerby spotted the shark near Sligo on April 11 and contacted the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group, a conservation organization with a hotline for reporting stranded marine mammals.
The individuals who found it initially mistook it for a deceased basking shark, a species frequently seen off the Irish coast.
After the charity’s scientists identified the species from photos, they informed colleagues at the National Museum of Ireland in Dublin.
“We are eager to get there as soon as possible,” Murphy mentioned.
According to the St. Lawrence Shark Observatory, the Greenland shark is among the largest carnivorous shark species worldwide. It ranks second only to the great white shark, averaging three to five meters in length but capable of reaching up to seven meters.
Known as the longest-lived vertebrate on Earth, the Greenland shark has a lifespan exceeding 270 years. The oldest recorded specimen was estimated to be 400 years old.
Varied habitat beyond expectations
While the primary habitat of the Greenland shark is the cold waters of the Arctic and North Atlantic, including regions like Quebec and Atlantic Canada, shark expert Dean Grubbs suggests that Ireland falls within the known range of the species.
“Given that they are large mobile creatures and thrive in temperatures below 6 degrees Celsius, their movements face few barriers,” explained Grubbs, who is the associate research director at Florida State University Coastal and Marine Laboratory, in an email to CBC.
Spending most of their time around 2,000 meters deep in the ocean, the Greenland sharks can be found in unexpected places such as Belize and the Gulf of Mexico, according to Grubbs.
“They are likely more widespread than commonly believed,” he stated. “It’s just that there aren’t enough deep-sea explorations to spot them frequently.”
‘Exquisite creatures’
