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Shark washes up on Vancouver Island shore

Beach-goers had a rare glimpse of a dead sixgill shark at Coles Bay on Vancouver Island Tuesday.

Beach-goers had a rare glimpse of a dead sixgill shark at Coles Bay Tuesday.

“First one we’ve seen on a beach,” said North Saanich parks foreman Jim Nelson. He said it seemed to be in pretty good shape and there were no visible injuries, so it might have just died of old age.

 Andrew Prentice and his dog, Cody, get a look at a dead sixgill shark at Coles Bay on Tuesday, Feb. 5, 2019. Photo by Darren Stone/Times ColonistAndrew Prentice and his dog, Cody, get a look at a dead sixgill shark at Coles Bay on Tuesday, Feb. 5, 2019. Photo by Darren Stone/Times Colonist

He said he is in the process of figuring out what agency will take it away.

Sixgill sharks can be up to 4.5 metres long and are a primitive species, with their roots in the Mesozoic Era. They are usually in the depths of the ocean but can sometimes be found in shallower waters.