Critically Endangered Shark Spotted Off Coast of Ireland

One of the “rarest sharks in Europe” was spotted by a lucky class of junior kayakers off the coast of Galway, Ireland, on May 28.

Kayak instructor Colin O’Loan recorded this video of the rare angel shark and told RTE News the group of junior kayakers were snorkeling after finishing kayak camp when they spotted the fish.

“The angel shark just wandered in amongst us. It was a real case of being in the right place at the right time – a million-to-one shot,” he told RTE News.

Scientists at The Marine Institute in Ireland confirmed the footage shows an angel shark, and wrote that they were delighted to confirm the sighting.

According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the angel shark is a bottom-dwelling, nocturnal shark that lives in shallow water, preferring sandy bottoms where “it lies buried with little more than its eyes protruding in waiting for prey.” The shark is currently on IUCN’s red list as a critically endangered species, with a decreasing population trend. Credit: Colin O’Loan via Storyful

Video transcript

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