Dozens of sharks—collectively known as a gam, herd, school, shiver, or frenzy—were spotted in waters near West Sussex on the southern UK coast yesterday (July 16). A bystander’s video shows dozens of smooth-hound sharks in intertidal waters near the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds in Medmerry, a wetland habitat in West Sussex:
The footage was captured by Peter Hughes, the warden of RSPB Medmerry. Smooth-hounds are named for their propensity to gather in packs, like dogs.
“It was astonishing. There were just these huge fish everywhere in knee-deep water,” Hughes told the BBC. He said the sharks were likely coming to feed on crabs and other marine life.
ITV news reports that the smooth-hound sharks can grow up to 5 feet in length and weigh up to 13 kg (29 lb). They frequent coastal areas in West Sussex, and around Great Britain’s coasts in general.
Creative Commons-licensed photo by Flickr user Biodiversity Heritage Library.