Big, 'beautiful' Mako shark found washed up dead on Welsh beach

It is not known how long the shark had been on the beach

The Mako shark lay dead on the Welsh beach on Friday 5 December 2014 (Gwion Leggett)

A 10ft-long Mako shark has been discovered washed up on a beach in north Wales.

The shark, which is normally found in temperate or tropical seas such as the Gulf of Mexico, was discovered by fishermen on Friday on Barmouth Beach. The cause of its death, and how long it has been there, isn't known.

Photographer Gwion Liggett spotted the shark lying dead on the sand. He posted on his Facebook page: "This creature is beautiful alive or dead and the rare chance to be so close to one is a real experience."

"It is sad. Amazing creature. I wonder what happened to it," he added.

The shark is still on the beach, according to MailOnline, and no one has come to collect it although the authorities are aware of its presence.

Some bystanders resorted to pulling some of its teeth out for keepsakes, the newspaper also reported.

The carnivorous Mako sharks usually feed on fish, porpoises, sea turtles, birds and even other sharks but there have also been 42 recorded attacks on humans by the species – three of which were fatal – in the past three decades.

These incidents are believed to have been cases of the sharks getting caught on fishing lines rather than them specifically targeting people.

It has also been known for supermarkets in six states in New England, US, to sell Mako meat and fins for consumption.