Walkers find dead shark washed up on Caithness shore

The shark is thought to be a porbeagle

The body of a shark has been found washed up on a rocky Caithness shoreline by a couple who were out for their daily morning walk.

Annemarie Simpson and her partner Kev Stewart, who live in Papigoe, made the discovery on Wednesday near Wick.

The shark is almost two metres (6ft) long, and Ms Simpson said she believed it to be a porbeagle - a species found in UK waters.

Ms Simpson told BBC Scotland News online that it was an exciting and interesting find, but added: "I much prefer seeing them alive where they belong."

Porbeagles are members of the shark family Lamnidae making it a close relative of the great white shark, according to the Wildlife Trusts.

They are listed as an internationally vulnerable species and prey on mackerel, herring and squid.

The couple's discovery was first reported in the John O'Groats Journal and Caithness Courier.

Some have speculated the shark was a casualty of Storm Amy, which hit Scotland with damaging high winds earlier this month, or had been injured in an attack by dolphins.

A porbeagle was previously found at Reiss, near Wick, in December 2016.

Ms Simpson, a social care worker, said: "It's not uncommon to find a porpoise or a Risso's dolphin on the shore in Caithness, but a porbeagle shark, although known in our waters, is definitely a much rarer find onshore."

She said the shark's fin first caught her attention.

Along with Mr Stewart, a military veteran who is now training to be an Army chaplain, she headed down to the shoreline for a closer look.

"It's an interesting find," said Ms Simpson.

"In Caithness we love our nature."

At least 21 shark species live in British waters all year round but there are also seasonal visitors, including basking sharks, according to the Shark Trust.

A porbeagle was previously found near Wick in 2016