Was our own shark tale one of mistaken ID?
‘VAST’ PREDATOR PLYING MENAI STRAIT HAS FASCINATED EXPERTS FOR CENTURIES
IN the early 19th century, a parish vicar was startled to discover a “vast” shark washed up on the shores of Anglesey.
The creature was almost 10ft long, complete with a crescent-shaped tail and a bellyful of youngsters.
In the 1836 edition of A History of British Fisheries, the shark was provisionally declared a “distinct species” – one so rare that only two examples had been found, both on the Anglesey side of the Strait.
It was promptly named the Beaumaris shark (Squalus monensis). Its Welsh name was the far more evocative Morgi Mawr.
Marine biologists in the 20th century endeavoured to find more specimens.
One, Bangor University’s Dr Cecil Jones, reported seeing two during decades of diving in the Menai.
Taking a keen interest in the early discoveries was Thomas Pennant, the renowned naturalist and travel writer from Flintshire who was best known for his tours of Wales and Scotland.
In his 1812 volume of Pennant’s British Zoology, he described the two Beaumaris sharks, the first of which had been found in 1769.
Both had been identified and classified
by his friend, the Rev Hugh Davies, a noted botanist from Beaumaris.
A year later, Rev Davies would publish the first book – and still the most comprehensive – to cross-reference plant names in Welsh and Latin.
His shark discoveries, made almost 40 years apart, were later realised in sketches and engravings.
The first was 7ft long, with a bulllike snout, the other 9.5ft and more streamlined.
Pennant attributed the differences in shape and size to sexual dimorphism.
“As it is supposed, with reason, that in this tribe of ferocious animals, the female invariably the largest,” he wrote.
“I am induced to conclude the specimen which I observed near forty years ago, might have been a full-grown male, and that the differences between the two sexes is inferiority of size with regards to the male, but with a front in every respect larger than that of a female.”
The clincher was the four pups found inside the larger shark, each around 2.5ft long.
Seventeen quarts of oil were also obtained from her liver.
In a later edition of Pennant’s A Tour Of Wales, the penny was perhaps starting to drop.
Furnishing “further observations”, the Rev Davies drew comparisons with the porbeagle shark, noting the latter appeared to be “by much the more common fish of the two”.
It’s now accepted that Beaumaris’ unique shark was more than likely a porbeagle.
Found around the UK coast, porbeagles look fearsome and are often mistaken for great whites, despite being half the size. However, they are relatively harmless, with just one non-fatal attack in British waters listed by the International Shark Attack File. In 2006, a porbeagle body was found on Black Rock Sands, near Porthmadog, while fishermen have been known to snag them off Holyhead.
Elsewhere in the world, the porbeagle is called the mackerel shark, bottle-nosed shark or blue dog. In Florida, however, it is still often referred to as the Beaumaris shark, as Bangor historian Gareth Cowell was delighted to discover when he attended a conference on maritime history there a few years ago.
He attempted – in vain – to the see the shark for himself in the Menai Strait. “It is still there but despite diving and snorkelling in the Straits over many years, I never came across it,” said Mr Cowell, retired head of sixth form at Ysgol Syr Hugh Owen, Caernarfon.
“It can reach a length of 7ft or more, so it’s a formidable creature!
“However I did see a pilot whale off Llanddwyn Island and, on one occasion, my heart leapt when a 30ft basking shark rose up in front of me, as big as a house.
“One person who did see it (the beaumaris shark) over a long life of marine studies and diving in the straits was the late Dr Cecil Jones.”
Regarded as one of the fathers of ocean sciences at Bangor University, Dr Jones had a passion for maritime archaeology.
His expeditions included a 15th century slate boat wreck off Pwll Fanogl, near Llanfairpwll: his divers included American author Clive Cussler, author of Raise The Titanic.
Another was the 18th century wreck near Harlech of the Sarn Badrig sailing ship, whose shipment included an early consignment of Bardsey apples.
Sadly, he died last November, perhaps the only person known to have come face to face with the Beaumaris
shark.