Spine of large shark discovered by lifeguards on cleanup duty

Lifeguards performing a beach cleanup in Wellfleet, Mass., on Thursday collected the backbone of what’s believed to be a large great white shark.

The rare discovery of a remarkably intact vertebrae was made on Newcomb Hollow Beach by Ethan Craven, Lydia Bicknell and Bri Griffin of Wellfleet Lifeguards, as they gathered debris in the aftermath of Hurricane Teddy.

“We think the animal was buried on the beach at some point and preserved; the storm uncovered this part of the skeleton,” Suzy Blake, co-head lifeguard, told For The Win Outdoors. “During storms like Teddy our beaches shift quite a bit. We get many things washed ashore from the waves, but also many things uncovered by wave action and the wind.”

Several comments beneath Friday’s Facebook announcement pertained to the seemingly immaculate condition of vertebrae, considering that sharks are cartilaginous and do not have bones.

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Greg Skomal, senior fisheries scientist for the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries, explained to For The Win Outdoors: “Although primarily cartilage, shark backbones have high amounts of calcium, which allows them to preserve well.”

Blake said the spine measured five feet and the largest vertebra measured 3.5 inches in diameter. Skomal did not speculate how long the shark might have been.

Wellfleet Lifeguards’ Facebook post included this description: “Yesterday, our guards made an amazing find during their morning beach sweep: a full spine of a marine animal.  Upon further investigation (aka googling) and consultation with a few friends of ours (aka marine scientists) who know a thing or two about sharks, it’s likely this is the spinal column of a White Shark, and a pretty large one at that. ⁣⁣

“We’re sorry this guy had to perish, but happy that he (or she) left a little something behind as a message from the past about his (or her) visit to the Wellfleet beaches.”

–Images courtesy of Wellfleet Lifeguards