A Gigantic Dead Shark Was Discovered in Boston Harbor
Welcome to Weirdest Thing of the Week, where…well, we point out weird things.
At 8 a.m. on Tuesday morning, police received a call about a floating marine animal carcass in Boston Harbor.
Shortly after the police’s harbor unit and the Coast Guard hopped on a boat to inspect the scene near the Black Falcon Cruise Terminal in South Boston, marine experts identified the animal not as a whale, but as a basking shark.
The 24-foot-long shark, however, wasn’t new the harbor. According to the Boston Globe, the animal was first spotted two weeks ago when it became stuck to the bow of a container ship entering Boston Harbor. The dead shark eventually broke free of the ship, resurfacing this week.
Police Captain John Greland chronicled the shark discovery on Twitter.
— John GrelandBPD (@captaingreland) May 31, 2016
— John GrelandBPD (@captaingreland) May 31, 2016
Basking sharks aren’t dangerous to humans. While they look similar to great white sharks, basking sharks simply snack on plankton. They commonly appear in the harbor beginning in April.
The shark’s cause of death is unclear, as it may have already been deceased when it collided with the container ship.
Have you noticed funky happenings lately? Tell me about them: mbilis@bostonmagazine.com, @madelinebilis.
