Porbeagle Shark Records
Lamna nasus
 

  • September 1997
  • During the autumn of 1997, on the east coast of Norfolk, at the tiny seaside resort of Sea Palling, equidistant between Great Yarmouth and Cromer, an unusual event occurred to four holiday makers,   Peter Johnson,  Mike Goodey,  Tom

    • Brindley  and Peter Waller. These four gentlemen spread themselves out on the sandy, but steeply shelving beach and settled down for a days fishing. Two hours passed with hardly a bite and then, quite with out warning, something shot out of the water and landed with a thump on the beach amongst these very startled gentlemen.

    A 60 lb (27 kg) Porbeagle Shark measuring nearly 5 ft  (152 cm) in length  and still alive and kicking!

    When they recovered from the shock, they manhandled the creature, with some difficulty, back into the sea.   During the next half hour it beached itself a further three times and after twice more, getting this fish back into the water, they finally gave up and allowed it to die on the beach.
    They were all staying at the village’s Golden Beach Caravan Park, where they brought the now dead fish in a borrowed wheelbarrow, to be photographed and finally cut up into steaks and distributed to all and sundry.
    The Daily Express  covered the story and printed an account with photographic evidence on Tuesday September 23rd 1997….reporter Bob Mc,Gowan.
    The article and photograph of this startling event have been framed and hang in the clubhouse of the Golden Beach Caravan Park.  I was there in August 2000 and saw the evidence with my own eyes or maybe even I wouldn’t have
    believed it!!!!   what a fishing story to tell again and again and again

    Report by Jim Hall

    July or August 2000.

    Large Porbeagle came along side the  charter boat 'Shytorque 2000' while fishing 28 miles off  Whitby Nr. Yorkshire. The shark estimated at over 250 lb and between 10-10.5 feet long must have been attracted by lots of old dead fish bait that was thrown away. No one on the boat had shark gear and after a while the shark left. Large Porbeagles are not uncommon around the north east coast.
     

    FYI, Guernsey Fish Supplies received a small Porbeagle Shark from England on 27 May 1999.
    I believe it came from the fish auction at Newlyn, Cornwall.  I am trying to verify this.

    The auction weight was supposedly 20 KG. whole.  I weighed it gutted at 17.1 KG.
    Fork length (snout to distal edge of middle of caudal fin)  110 cm
    Snout tip to origin of first dorsal fin   43 cm
    Snout tip to caudal peduncle notch   100.4 cm
    Snout length (tip to anterior of eye)   9.5 cm
    First Dorsal fin height     14 cm
    First Dorsal fin base length    12 cm
    Inter-dorsal distance     35.5 cm
    Pectoral fin length (body to distal tip)   20 cm
    The male porbeagle was immature.  Clasper length was 5.0 cm measured from
    the tip to where clasper joins the pelvic fin.

    Best Wishes,
    Yours sincerely,
    Richard
    Richard Lord
    Guernsey GY1 1BQ
    Great Britain

    Email:  fishinfo@guernsey.net
    Tel: +44 (0)1481 700688
    Fax: +44 (0)1481 700699

    This afternoon (4/11/99)  (at 1330) a male Porbeagle weighing 83.45 KG. was landed in St. Peter Port harbour.  The fish was caught off the South West tip of Guernsey near Hanois Lighthouse in gill nets set for sea bass. The porbeagle was found dead in the net which had been set overnight.

    I made the following measurements:

    Total weight     83.45 KGs
    Liver weight     4.90 KGs
    Gutted weight (but incl. Heart)   74.95 KGs

    Fork length     190 cm
    Total length (to top lobe of caudal peduncle) 217 cm
    Tip of snout to origin of first dorsal fin  76 cm
    Origin of D1 to origin of D2   80.5 cm
    Rear of D1 attachment to origin of D2  60.0 cm
    Height of D1     28 cm
    Longest clasper length (at pelvic fin attachment) 20.2 cm (8 inches)

    The stomach of the porbeagle contained one cuttlefish bone, 2 partially digested squid (Loligo forbesi judging by size of beaks?), one fish skeleton, and one cheliped from a lady crab. (I am wondering if the crab claw could have been from the eaten fish's stomach.)  The stomach and spiral valve were full of food.

    Best Wishes,
    Yours sincerely,
    Richard
    Richard Lord

    A female porbeagle was landed at St. Peter Port harbour this afternoon (16/11/99 at 1300) by Richard Seager who was gill netting for bass and red mullet near Hanois lighthouse on the south-west tip of Guernsey.  The female was caught in the same location as a male porbeagle caught a couple of weeks ago.

    The left pectoral fin of this shark had a bite mark (teeth impressions) on it with a 5 inch gape (copulatory hold?).  (Photographs of this bite taken.) The female itself had a bite gape of 6 inches across.

    I made the following measurements.

    Total length (measured to vertical line through tips of caudal fin lobes) 219 cm
    Fork length        206 cm
    Snout tip to origin of D1           76 cm
    Girth at origin of D1      126 cm
    Girth at origin of P1      117.5 cm
    Girth at origin of P2            94.5 cm
    Distance between tips of upper and lower lobe of caudal fin  73 cm
    Origin of D1 to Origin of D2      89 cm
    D1 base length        24 cm
    D1 height        29.5 cm
    P1 length (middle proximally to tip)     40 cm (left fin)

    Gutted weight    101.05 KGs.
    Viscera after loss of blood    19.90 KGs. of this, lobes of liver weighed 15.85 kgs.
    Heart weighed        0.40 KGs.

    Total weight 101.05 + 19.90 + 0.40 = 121.35 KGs (not including large quantity of blood lost)

    The stomach contained one garfish, Belone belone, identified from the long green vertebral column.  I retained a clutch of small oocytes and the heart.

    Interestingly, a fisherman asked me why I bothered collecting shark landing data in Guernsey when the Cherbourg fish auction has lots of sharks for sale. (In other words our catches are insignificant compared to the landings at the Cherbourg market.)
    Reports by Richard Lord (Guernsey).
    EMail:fishinfo@guernsey.net
     


    Richard Seager and Peter Merrien fishing for sea bass using mono-filament gill nets off the south-west coast of Guernsey landed a female porbeagle shark on the afternoon of January 3, 2000.

    I made the following measurements of the female porbeagle:

    Total Weight  85.00 kgs.
    Gutted Weight   70.50 kgs. (without heart)
    Liver weight    9.30 Kgs.
    Heart Weight    0.30 Kgs.
    Spiral valve with contents  1.05 kgs.

    Viscera not incl. heart,
    liver, or spiral valve   3.20 Kgs.

    Total length   191 cm
    Fork length   179 cm
    Pre-caudal length (to notch) 160 cm
    Height of caudal fin
    from tip to tip (stretched)   70 cm
    Snout tip to origin of D1     66 cm
    Origin of D1 to origin of D2   77 cm

    Rear of D1 attachment to
    origin of D2    55 cm

    D1 base length    21.5 cm
    D1 height (fin damaged from old wound, measurement not possible)

    P1 length
    (middle proximally to tip)  38 cm

    Girth at origin of D1  101.5 cm
    Girth at origin of P1  108.5 cm
    Girth at origin of P2   80.0 cm
    Girth at origin of Anal fin    47.5 cm

    Horizontal mouth width   14 cm

    Horizontal eye opening diameter  36 mm
    Vertical eye opening diameter  39 mm

    Stomach contained one digested garfish, Belone belone, and one or two squid mantles with a pair of squid beaks. There were five pairs of eye lenses.

    I have preserved some heart and liver tissue in 95% ethanol. Please contact me if you would like a small sample of tissue. The gutted shark is being shipped to France for sale.

    Best Wishes,
    Yours sincerely,
    Richard
    Richard Lord
    Guernsey GY1 1BQ
    Great Britain

    Email:  fishinfo@guernsey.net
    Tel: +44 (0)1481 700688
    Fax: +44 (0)1481 700699

    Richard Seager and Peter Merrien fishing for sea bass using mono-filament gill nets off the south-west coast of Guernsey landed a female porbeagle shark on the morning of January 16, 2000.

    This porbeagle contained three embryos.  Length and weight measurements of each embryo were made and will be sent by email on Monday morning.

    I made the following measurements of the female porbeagle:

    Total Weight  . (to be calculated, about 168 Kg or 370 lb.)
    Gutted Weight   121.60 kg. (including heart)
    Liver weight    20.20 kg.
    Ovaries with embryos   21.55 kg.

    Viscera not incl.
    Liver, ovaries, heart
    (stomach & spiral valve)  3.55 kg.

    Total length   229 cm
    Fork length   216 cm
    Pre-caudal length (to notch) 192 cm
    Height of caudal fin
    from tip to tip (stretched)   81 cm
    Snout tip to origin of D1     84 cm
    Origin of D1 to origin of D2   96 cm

    Rear of D1 attachment to
    origin of D2    70 cm
    D1 base length    26 cm
    D1 height    33cm

    P1 length
    (middle proximally to tip)  43 cm

    Girth at origin of D1  150 cm
    Girth at origin of P1  127 cm
    Girth at origin of P2  102 cm
    Girth at origin of Anal fin    53.5 cm

    Stomach contained one unidentified fish with white muscle.  Vertebrae of this fish has been retained for possible identification.

    I have preserved some liver tissue and eggs in 95% ethanol. I have frozen three embryos with their yolk. Please contact me if you would like a small sample of tissue or one of the embryos. The gutted shark is being shipped to France for sale.

    Best Wishes,
    Yours sincerely,
    Richard
    Richard Lord

    On Monday, January 17, 2000, another porbeagle was landed in Guernsey. Unfortunately, the fisherman who caught it 1.5 miles offshore gutted the shark before landing it.  It had a gutted weight of exactly 100 KGs.  The fisherman told me it contained 4 pups all in one uterus.  He estimated the pups at about 2 KGs each.  They were discarded over the side of the boat.  The gutted shark is at a local wholesalers.  I want to measure it before it is sold so I have to be at the wholesalers early on the morning of Jan. 18.

    From the 370 lb. porbeagle landed in Guernsey on January 16, the three porbeagle embryos had the following measurements:

    Female embryo No. 1
    Total weight    5246 grams
    Total length   566 mm
    Fork length   474 mm
    Precaudal length  415 mm
    Origin of D1 to origin of D2 190 mm
    Snout to fifth gill slit 144 mm
    Snout to first gill slit  99 mm
    D1 height about 40 mm
    P1 length about 60 mm
    Girth at rear edge of D1 including yolk /distended stomach about 57 cm
    Yolk / distended stomach attached from below second gill slit to origin of pelvic fins

    Second female embryo in same uterus.

    Total weight   3490 grams
    Total length   514 mm
    Fork length   425 mm
    Precaudal length  373 mm
    Snout tip to origin D1  163 mm
    Snout tip to first gill slit  88 mm
    Origin of D1 to origin D2  160 mm
    Girth at origin of D1 about   44 cm

    In other uterus, male embryo
    Total weight   2730 grams
    Total length   518 mm
    Fork length   425 mm
    Precaudal length  374 mm
    Snout tip to origin D1  168 mm
    Origin of D1 to origin D2  166 mm
    D1 height   34 mm
    Girth at origin of D1 about 46 cm

    Stomach of mother contained one unidentified fish with white muscle.  Vertebrae of this fish have been retained for possible identification.

    Best Wishes, Richard
    Richard Lord
    Guernsey 

    4 February 2000
    Just to let you know another porbeagle with embryos was landed this morning.  Gutted weight 114.6 KGs. About 153 KGs whole. Contained 4 embryos. 
    Dear Andy:

    (For Amanda) Porbeagle sharks are in the area because I have just returned from Phoenix fish wholesalers who called me because they had a number of sea bass that had been bitten in half on the long-line. I took photos.  The bites had a gape of about 12 cm. A angling boat working on the south west Casquets bank north of Guernsey reported seeing a huge porbeagle shark swimming by the boat yesterday (anglers estimate over 400 lbs.???).  Two weekends ago a diver working close to shore off the north coast of Guernsey took video of what he thinks was a porbeagle swimming by.  He says he observed a large shadow nearby.  When he told me this he hadn't yet seen his video tape to see what the video tape shows.

    Maurice Down who is about 70 and has been fishing all his life saw something huge in the Little Russel at the lower end of the Great Bank off the south-west corner of Guernsey today. He said he saw a big black head and about 20 feet of body.  He said the head end of the animal was very wide (8 to 10 feet).  The animal made a large bow wave on the glassy sea.  He saw no dorsal fin or tail fin.  The animal was swimming at several knots and was producing a long wake.  He radioed another boat that the animal was heading for them but they didn't see anything. The animal sounded and didn't reappear.  Any idea on what species of whale it could be?  Basking shark????

    Everyone is reporting large mackerel catches off the southern end of the Great Bank.  There are large concentrations of fish showing up on fish finders at the bottom end of the bank. There are reports of large numbers of sea bass, mackerel, pilchards and some anchovy.  The mackerel are full of amphipods, some copepods and a few mysids.  The retail markets are flooded with small mackerel.

    (For Doug) first oceanic sunfish, Mola mola, seen about two weeks ago off south coast of Guernsey.

    Best Wishes,
    Yours sincerely,
    Richard
    Richard Lord
    Guernsey GY1 1BQ
    Great Britain

    Email:  fishinfo@guernsey.net
    Tel: +44 (0)1481 700688
    Fax: +44 (0)1481 700699
     

    -----Original Message-----
    From: Andy Horton [SMTP:Glaucus@hotmail.com]
    Sent: 30 June 2000 08:58
    To: Richard Lord
    Subject: Perfect Storm

    I spoke with the skipper from a Salcombe registered angling boat yesterday.  Last Monday, July 30, 2001, he was fishing about 10 miles west of the Casquets (west of Alderney) in the Hurd Deep.  A member of his recreational fishing party was pulling in alarge ling when a Porbeagle estimated at between 350 and 400 lb. came up from the depths and bit the ling's tail off.  The Porbeagle then swam under the boat before disappearing.  The skipper said he sees this happen 4 or 5 times per year.

    Yours sincerely,
    Richard
    Richard Lord
    Guernsey GY1 1BQ
    Great Britain

    Email:  fishinfo@guernsey.net


     

    porbeagle  | pbi()l |  n. M18. [Perh. f. Corn. porth harbour, cove + bugel shepherd.] A shark of the N. Atlantic and Mediterranean, Lamna nasus, with a pointed snout. Also porbeagle shark.

    ---------------------------------------------------------
    Excerpted from The Oxford Interactive Encyclopedia
    Developed by The Learning Company, Inc. Copyright (c) 1997 TLC Properties Inc. All rights reserved.


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