Great White Shark Washes Up on Beach, Shocking Crowd

A huge great white shark has washed ashore on a popular Australian beach after witnesses saw it thrashing and struggling in the shallows.

The shark, which measured about 13 feet long, was first spotted swimming in the shallows of Kingscliff Beach, near Tweed Heads in New South Wales, on Monday morning, not far from beachgoers, local media outlet news.com.au reported.

Beachings are not uncommon in marine mammals; however, such an event is rarely seen in shark species. Although great white sharks are known for hunting in the shallows, they do not typically get stranded ashore. For this reason, this incident was extremely rare, and many beachgoers saw the gargantuan species up close for the very first time. The main reason for these strandings, when they do occur, is illness or injury. This can cause sharks to become disoriented and unable to make their way back to shore.

Resident Suzy Martin took footage of the shark when it was extremely close to shore. It could be seen swimming through the waves, trying to make its way back to deeper water. However, it eventually washed ashore, shocking beachgoers nearby.

"Sadly this one was struggling for some time before it washed up. Help was in the way but not in time," Martin said in a Facebook post alongside the footage. Pictures posted by her show the great white shark dead on the beach.

After authorities from Sea World on the Gold Coast attended the scene, the decision was made to euthanize the shark. The exact condition of the animal is not yet known, but there are theories.

"Sadly, the shark was in a poor condition after beaching and the Sea World veterinary team administered medications to make the shark comfortable while it was humanely euthanized," a Sea World spokesperson said in a statement, as reported by U.K. newspaper The Guardian.

"The shark appeared to have underlying health issues, with the thrashing behavior seen in the shallows prior to the beaching not typical for the species."

Siobhan Houlihan, shark bay supervisor at Sea World, told ABC Australia that she believes the shark may have eaten something it shouldn't have. Its body was removed from the beach and a necropsy will be done, which should reveal the exact cause of its stranding.

Great white sharks are well known for inhabiting the oceans along the New South Wales coast. However, they are an elusive species and do not usually come close to humans, although they may occasionally be spotted hunting in shallow waters.

Although the species is infamous for being aggressive, attacks on humans remain very rare. The species has a conservation status of vulnerable, due to threats from humans who go trophy fishing.

Do you have a tip on a science story that Newsweek should be covering? Do you have a question about great white sharks? Let us know via science@newsweek.com.