Nearly 30 dead spiny dogfish sharks washed ashore on a stretch of beach in Sea Isle City, New Jersey, on Wednesday morning, prompting confusion among locals.
The dead marine predators were discovered scattered across approximately 10 blocks of the shoreline.
Michele Greenling, a local resident, described the sight as odd, noting the unusual concentration of small sharks on the sand.
The cause of the sharks' deaths remains undetermined, according to marine scientists. One theory suggests that the sharks may have ingested something harmful in the water, though this is considered unlikely given that human populations were not affected.
Another prominent hypothesis is that the sharks were caught by fishermen and subsequently discarded into the ocean. Marine scientist Stephen Nagiewicz of Stockton University explained that these fish might have been dumped overboard or lost accidentally in nets, with the bodies later washing ashore with the tide.
Spiny dogfish sharks are common along the Jersey Shore and the eastern coasts of North America. They typically migrate closer to shore during the summer months and move further offshore in the winter.
Fishermen sometimes refer to dogfish as "junk fish" because they can consume bait intended for other species. While their populations are generally abundant, some have experienced declines due to being unintentionally caught as by-catch in commercial and recreational fishing operations.