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Huge great white shark washes up on Massachusetts beach

Huge great white shark washes up on Massachusetts beach

“Not one of our typical calls for service.”

Warning: some readers might find the images below graphic

A huge great white shark washed up on a beach in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, on Wednesday.

The Orleans police department shared photos from Nauset Beach, adding that a tow truck was called to remove the animal, with another officer following behind.

Image:
Pic: Orleans Police Department

“You really never know what kind of call you’ll respond to on any given shift,” police said in the statement, adding: “At least Sgt Elliott only needed to follow the tow truck and didn’t have to wrestle an unruly great white.”

The Atlantic White Shark Conservancy charity confirmed the shark was known as Koala and had first been identified by the organisation in 2022.

Pic: Orleans Police Department
Image:
Pic: Orleans Police Department

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It was a mature male and measured just over 12ft (3.6m), according to the group.

The charity said there were no obvious signs of how or why Koala died, and further testing is needed to establish a cause of death.

Cape Cod is a popular summer destination.

The Atlantic White Shark Conservancy charity said the area is a preferred feeding ground for white sharks. The most recent bite on a human was in September 2018, the charity said, when a 26-year-old man died.