9ft Shark Washes up in Puget Sound

[fishnislife]

This is awsome. The crazy thing is, it washed up just a ways from my house. I wish I would have heard about it sooner and was able to see it. I like how they call them sixgills. (I guess we would be called twolungs)
This is the article from our local paper the North Kitsap Herald.
http://www.northkitsapherald.com/

Rare shark find in Liberty Bay

By JENNIFER MORRIS

Jan 26 2008

POULSBO — A 9-foot shark was discovered on the east shoreline of Liberty Bay Tuesday.

Poulsbo resident Andy Woodford was combing the beach for shells when he made the unusual find. The shark is an immature sixgill female, found with no signs of trauma or obvious cause of death.

Shawn Larson from the Seattle Aquarium took samples from the body Wednesday morning. Department of Fish and Wildlife (DFW) officials will test contaminant levels in the shark to try and determine how the animal died.

It was stranded on shore near the area behind the Asgard Apartments.

Woodford said seeing the shark was initially startling to him. Its presence on the beach was near-missable, its mouth open, bearing rows of teeth.

Debbie Farrer, a scientific technician with the DFW, said sixgill sightings in shallow waters are uncommon, though the Puget Sound is a nesting area for the type of shark. The predators feed on seals, smaller sharks and various types of fish. She said there has only been one reported diver incident with a sixgill shark in which someone was possibly hurt. The unconfirmed incident was not in the area nor was it recent; divers swim with sixgills often without trouble, she said.

The shark’s stomach was empty, meaning all food had been digested and no crab bait boxes had perforated the stomach, which is sometimes found as the cause of death, she said.

Sixgills are most often found in water at least 200 feet deep, but sometimes swim into shallower areas at night to feed, said DFW marine ecosystems manager Greg Bargmann. Between three and five are found stranded on shore each year. Sixgills grow to about 12 feet in length, and usually leave the sound for open waters when they are 6-8 years old, he said.

The DFW is conducting an aging study of sixgill sharks and will be able to put the rare finding to good use, Farrer said. Backbone, muscle, liver and tissue samples were taken to be used to find a technique to measure shark aging, as well as learn more about genetics, obtain stable isotopes and check for contaminants such as mercury and PCPs.

Sixgill sharks are often spotted near Alki Beach and Elliott Bay, she said. The DFW began tagging them in 2003 to see where they travel throughout the area. The washed-up shark was not one of those that was tagged.

Ferrar said the area is closed to sixgill shark fishing. If one is hooked, it is to be released immediately.

The Seattle Aquarium has a working sixgill shark exhibit. For more information, visit www.seattleaquarium.org.


POULSBO — A 6-gill shark measuring 9 feet was found along Liberty Bay Tuesday by Poulsbo resident Andy Woodford. Woodford was combing the beach for shells when he found the body of the shark. It appears to have washed up on shore near the area behind the Asgard Apartments. A Seattle Aquarium employee was headed out Wednesday morning to take samples of the carcass and determine which type of shark it is. The Department of Fish and Wildlife said the agency is currently conducting an aging study of 6-gill sharks. Liver and tissue samples will be taken. For more information and updates on the story, check out the Jan. 26 edition of the North Kitsap Herald.
By Jennifer Morris



fishnislife

[The Quadfather]

Hey, thanks for sending that story. I have always been fascninated with reading about these 6 gill sharks. When my son and I go fishing for dogfish, I always tell him about these guys, but you never really talk to anybody who has seen or caught one.... Hmm...... gotta go down to 200 ft.?? Yeah, I know the rules, but it sure would be fun to pull one up!

Chris

[Anonymous]

Here is a link to some video shot from a diver at Alki beach (West Seattle) it is a 14 or 16' six gill, can't remember.

http://www.calvintang.com/albums/other/ ... 1%26sa%3DG

[Mike Carey]

A few years back guys were targeting these 6 gill sharks down at the Alki fishing pier - and being very successful as apparently the sharks come up shallow during the night. WDFW put a stop to the targeting of these fish.

[Derrick-k]

So are 6-gill sharks and dogfish the same thing?

[JT26]

derrick, they are different.

wow thats really cool. the only time i have ever heard of them was while looking in the fishing regulations.

[A9]

Sweet stuff. I've seen washed up whales, but not sharks..Seen those in more tropical waters, and caught "dogfish" but never a 6 gill

[Anonymous]

Awesome. When I fished Blue Dot I caught a Blue Shark about 10' long and it was crazy. I was reeling in my halibut set up from fishing Blue Dot after we got our limit of halis. When I was bringing it up something powerful took my line and just took off...we ensued and followed it with our SeaSport and finally brought it to the boat and released it safely. With El Nino winters come warmer waters and it's not out of the question to hook these Blue Sharks out by Table Top some 30 to 70 nautical miles of the WA/BC coast. This was in the summer of 2005, if I recall. They look exactly like that ---

[Eddie L]

A few years back guys were targeting these 6 gill sharks down at the Alki fishing pier - and being very successful as apparently the sharks come up shallow during the night. WDFW put a stop to the targeting of these fish.

I was there on the Seacrest Pier 2 diferent nights and seen 2 of the six gill sharks caught roped,and dragged up over the rocky bank with a rope. Sharkman (screen name on another fishing website) or something like that? Boy was it huge.