Overview
- Teams from the Nordsøen Oceanarium recovered a nearly five‑metre basking shark that had been seen in shallow waters off Ålbæk for several days before it was found dead.
- A multi‑hour autopsy found no obvious fatal injury and fresh food in the stomach while parasites were present at levels unlikely to be lethal.
- Scientists identified the animal as a young female roughly 4.7–5 metres long, about 400–500 kilograms and an estimated 10–15 years old, noting basking sharks are very rare in Danish waters.
- Laboratory work including CT scans and detailed analyses of tissue, brain and spine samples is under way to try to establish the cause of death.
- Separately, New Jersey authorities are investigating 29 small dead sharks found on a Sea Isle City beach with tide entrapment or discarded fishing gear offered as leading explanations.