A 23'+ Basking shark washed up on the beach
 

I was fishing last night. The thing was a monster, a couple of remoras were on him. I didn't have my camera:splat:... what a gaping mouth they have, you could easily crawel inside that thing.
I paced it off at 23'+ not counting the tail in my waders. I bet this went 2 tons.

Thats a big one! Too bad no picture. Would like to have seen it.

Where?:confused:

I just came back from the dissection... According to Greg Skomal (local shark guru) it measured 30' overall length and weighs (about) 5000 #

More pics (Washed up on Gay Head)

Liver was well over 500#

They think it got too close to the beach and got hung up in the shallow water and drowned.

That is a serious pectoral fin eh?

The best thing for the environment would be to drag that thing into the ocean, let it sink to the bottom and allow the crabs to eat it. Let the crabs get nice and big and healthy, and give the stripers a hearty meal weeks later.

Any propeller marks , etc that might hint at how it died?

Big big fish!!

Great pics thanks for going back Jim. Shame to see such a huge and awesome beast dead like that.

wow! that' gotta be some kind of record basking shark, I had no idea they got that big

looked it up, basking are the second largest living shark behind the whale shark, largest on record is 40 feet and 19 tons!
:shocked:

Me and Gunpowder just stumbled upon it on the beach. Chunks of it are spread all over the beach for miles. Hopefully it will chum in the big boys!!:lama::lama::lama:

Great pics! Thanks for sharing them and the story.

hahaha... acted as a repellent for us lol... got nothing!

I fished the basin (GH side) last night and didn't see/ smell anything. Must be on the other side.
Come to think of it I did smell something...I need a shower!:tooth:

The shark was located 1/4 mile NW from Philben beach. It is pretty mangled up by now. In a couple days it is going to be pretty rank, I am wondering if they will haul the remains out to sea out of respect for the bikini clad beach goers .:huh:

hmmm :tooth:

Was the Kintner boy inside? Cool shark

If you look closely there is a 30' shark in the background.:bl:

Hmmm... Couldn't find it.

Wow. I wonder if it just could have died from old age? I saw one off race point swimming that was about that size.


That stretch of beach is near some pretty high end homes wonder how they will end up dealing with it?

I woke up late this AM and turned on the tube...The move "JAWS" was just ending. The final scene shows the guys kicking their way into the shore, then there is a final image where they are approaching the beach as the credits are rolling...they came ashore EXACTLY where this giant fish did. (really!!! what are the odds of that?)

(Jaws music...bum bum bump bum bum bum bump.)