Sharks are known to be the apex predators of the ocean which is why people expect to find them in one place only, the ocean. As such, some salmon sharks have been found 500 miles inland in Idaho up Salmon River.
Sharks Found Inland
In a puzzling new discovery, salmon sharks have been found washed up on the Salmon River banks causing much confusion to those residing in Riggins, Idaho. The state's locals were puzzled as to why these sharks had washed up or were found so far inland.
The Idaho Fish and Game Department shared how they received several reports from concerned residents regarding shark sightings, resulting in an official investigation. The reports came in the form of phone calls and emails all pointing to how sharks were found 500 miles inland.
Upon the department's investigation, they found that the sharks that had washed up were salmon sharks, otherwise known as Carcharodon carcharias. These types of sharks are often seen in the outer Washington coast but, on rare occasions, are also spotted in the Straits of Juan de Fuca and Georgia.
These predators are capable of reaching up to 10 feet in length and can weigh up to 1,000 pounds. What makes this type of shark extremely intimidating is how it looks like a small great white shark.
Risk to Residents
The authorities said that they didn't think that the residents of Idaho were facing a new threat despite the shark's ability to instill fear in residents. According to the department, they assumed that someone "dropped" the shark on the shore as a joke.
The salmon shark's location was far from its usual habitat, with most sharks usually calling the North Pacific Ocean their home. Sharks can freely swim from the Sea of Japan to the Alaskan Gulf and everywhere in between.
These sharks are known to reside on offshore waters and very rarely do they venture inshore beyond their zones. While there have been sightings of a few salmon sharks migrating to the west coast of Canada, they mostly still remain within the Gulf of Alaska's confines.
Salmon River
Should the shark not have been placed there as a joke and had somehow made its way into the river, this could be very alarming since the Salmon River is an important habitat for certain fish like the Snake River sockeye or the Snake River spring chinook.
The Salmon River's habitat holds great importance to its ecosystem as it plays an important part in the survival of bull trout and some other fishes. The types of fish in Salmon River also make up a huge portion of the salmon shark's diet.
The shark in Salmon River had already been dead when it was discovered with no report as to how long it had been sitting there decaying. Although fishermen are authorized to capture salmon sharks, there is still a huge concern regarding overfishing and its effects.
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