Aquarium officials trying to rehab shark found on Seaside beach

SEASIDE, Ore. -- Shells and logs are common sights on the beaches of the Oregon coast. 

But a shark? That's exactly what was on the shore Wednesday.

A five-and-a-half foot Soupfin shark was on the beach for about an hour before a crew with the Seaside Aquarium could get to it. The shark was found by Seaside police officers who were on beach patrol Wednesday morning.

Seaside Aquarium officials weren't sure at first what kind of shark it was and had to pull out a reference manual to be completely sure because Soupfin sharks are typically found in subtropical waters. 

Keith Chandler, the general manager of Seaside Aquarium, monitored the shark's condition all day long. He said the odds of the shark's survival aren't great because it's in critical condition. 

"It came on the beach this morning the police called me it took me an hour to get to it," he said. "It was laying on the beach for an hour still alive ... We got it back to the aquarium and got it some water and were trying to remove it. It had been without oxygen for a long time so the odds aren't that great."

Officials said the bottom of the shark's belly was red -- a sign the shark was oxygen-deprived.

For a good part of the day, Chandler monitored the shark, making sure it was getting plenty of food as it swam around in a small tank before a crew from the Oregon Coast Aquarium in Newport drove to Seaside to pick the shark up. Once the shark makes it to Newport, a crew will work with it in order to try to rehabilitate it.


video:  http://www.katu.com/news/local/Aquarium-officials-trying-to-rehab-shark-found-on-Seaside-beach-162987146.html