Laurence Dollimore
A YOUNG blue shark who grabbed headlines in Spain this week has been found dead after being repeatedly stabbed by a swordfish.
The young specimen was recorded swimming up to the shore on Les Deveses beach in Denia on Sunday, forcing part of the coastline to be closed as a precaution.
READ MORE: Golden retriever swims after shark on Spain’s Costa Blanca in front of panicked owners
Footage then emerged today of a golden retriever dog jumping into the water and swimming after the shark in a bid to play with it.
The pup even nibbled on the end of its tail as its panicked owners screamed for him to swim back – although the shark never appeared bothered by the furry animal.
However it has emerged this afternoon that the blue shark specimen washed up dead on the shore on Monday.
A rescue team from the Oceanografic Foundation, Maritime Rescue and the Red Cross attempted to return to sea in vain.
The corpse was transferred to the University of Valencia, which carried out an autopsy.
Scientists confirmed that the blue shark was killed as a result of being stabbed three times in the brain by a swordfish.
Since 2016, several cases of sharks with similar injuries have been found, prompting biologists and veterinarians to study the interaction between these two species.
They are investigating whether this is a new phenomenon or a behaviour that has previously gone unnoticed.
