Death of 15 sharks wash ashore in Manatee County remain mystery

Researchers are trying to figure out why sharks are washing ashore dead on Manatee County’s beautiful beaches. Recently 15 dead sharks were found on the north ends of Longboat Key and Anna Maria Island.

The species of sharks found were bonnetheads, black noses, and sharp noses. Researchers ruled out the possibility that the sharks died as a result of last year’s oil spill. For now, what happened to these sharks remains a mystery.

Researchers have sent samples from the sharks to a different lab to try and see if red tide killed them. However, they say this is highly unlikely since they have not detected any red tide in the area. MOTE Marine Laboratory researchers say finding a dead shark now and then is not rare, but it is uncommon to find a group of them dead within a few days. (BayNews9)