A family on holiday in Merseyside said they were "shocked" when they found a "mysterious" sea creature washed up on the shore.
While on a stroll at Ainsdale beach at 10.30am on Wednesday, August 3, Samyher Woods came across the unfamiliar sight with her sister Ruby. From a distance Samyher initially thought it was a toy "racing" boat stuck in the water.
Samyher who is from Newton-Le-Willows is currently on holiday with her family at the seaside resort Pontins.
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Speaking to the ECHO Samyher said: "My mum and one of my sisters walked away but I stayed with Ruby. I was just so shocked because it is not something that you normally see.
"At first we did not know if it was alive but then I saw a hole in it's neck and that it was not moving. I also thought it looked like a baby shark and what if there was a bigger shark around somewhere."
Samyher said that after making the discovery she told the lifeguards who were "surprised" by the mysterious creature. Green Sefton identified the fish as a Smooth Hound which is found in the eastern Atlantic Ocean from the British Isles to South Africa, and in the Mediterranean Sea.
A spokesperson for Sefton Council said: “The fish appears to be a ‘Smooth Hound’, a small and harmless shark that lives in the Liverpool Bay. They often hunt crab in the shallow channels and can end up on Sefton’s shoreline after being caught out by receding tides.
“We would advise anyone finding unidentifiable substances, objects, or animals on our beaches not to touch them, to keep pets away from them, and to get in touch with our Green Sefton team to let them know.”
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