Locals have likened the shark that washed up on the Spanish beach to popular characters from the How To Train Your Dragon species – but experts say it appears to have met a tragic end
Benedict Tetzlaff-Deas News Reporter and Lee Bullen
21:25, 13 Jan 2026Updated 21:26, 13 Jan 2026
A Portuguese shark has sparked excitement after washing up on the beach in Spain(Image: Jam Press)
A bizarre looking deep-sea ‘dragon’ shark has left onlookers stunned after washing up on a tourist beach. The body of the pregnant Portuguese shark, which is normally found 3,500m under the sea, weighed 40lbs (18kg) – and measured an amazing 4ft 8in (1.45m) in length. It washed up on Luarca Beach, located west of Gijón, north-western Spain, on Saturday.
The shark species, also known as a Portuguese dogfish, was once commonly fished in the area for its meat and oil production – but is now close to becoming endangered.
The species primarily feeds on fish, molluscs and sea mammals, and has also been known to carry out attacks on giant squid. But due to overfishing and poor rates of reproduction, the species’ population has declined and catching them is now banned.
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Scientists found 12 large eggs inside the pregnant shark(Image: Jam Press)
They are classed as ‘Near Threatened’ by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
Luis Laria, president of the Centre for Studies and Protection of Marine Species, carried out an autopsy on the shark to determine its exact cause of death and work out why it washed up on the beach.
The Portuguese shark species is in rapid decline due to overfishing and a poor reproductive rate(Image: Jam Press)
He said: “We found this incredible creature on Luarca Beach. Can you imagine living with 350kg of weight on every square centimetre of your body? “Well, this shark, centroscymnus coelolepises, is able to withstand those immense pressures and enjoy depths of up to 3,500m.” Luis added: “Walking makes our bodies feel heavy and tired, now multiply that by 350!” After carrying out the autopsy on Sunday, Luis said they could not accurately determine what killed the creature.
Experts said the shark appeared to have got caught on a fishing line(Image: Jam Press)
They suspect that it was hooked by a fishing crew but managed to escape, fatally injuring itself in the process.
“A detailed external and internal examination revealed no conclusive evidence of a cause of death,” Luis said. “Initially, nothing remarkable was found, only the presence of blood in the mouth, oesophagus, and, although minimal, the stomach. Upon dissection and removal of the internal organs, we were initially surprised by the presence of gestation, with 12 large eggs (7cm in diametre each) containing developing embryos, and another nine undeveloped eggs averaging only 1cm in length. “The liver was also extracted and weighed 5kg, representing 27.78% of the shark’s weight of 18 kilogrammes.
“An examination of the digestive tract revealed no food remains, including in the spiral valve. Upon closer inspection of the short oesophagus, an irregular, anomalous 3.5-cm tear was observed in its wall.
“This last observation further strengthens our suspicion of the possible cause of death: accidental capture. The hook, possibly from a longline, became embedded, and the animal managed to free itself, expelling it, but not before causing irreversible damage through tearing and haemorrhaging, which led to its subsequent stranding.” Many locals likened the creature to the characters Toothless and Shadow from the How to Train Your Dragon franchise. One said: “If you’ve seen How to Train Your Dragon, remember Shadow’s face”. And another said: “Those eyes are strange, they remind me of Toothless from How to Train Your Dragon.”