KOTA KINABALU: A hammerhead shark carcass washed up on Kenangan beach in Bongawan, about 70km from here, and caused a sensation among locals and netizens.
Photos of the shark went viral on Facebook, shortly after villagers made the discovery at about 6.30am today.
As news of the discovery spread, curious villagers flocked to the site to take photos of the unique-looking marine predator.
The hammerhead shark has been listed in the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of globally-endangered species.
Awang Harun Karim, 50, from Kampung Silat, was the first to spot the shark as he was preparing to open his grocery store for business. His shop is just about 50 metres away from the beach.
“I thought it was a log, but I took a closer look and discovered that it was actually a hammerhead shark. I immediately called my son and we rushed to the beach, but it was already dead when we found it” he said.
The shark was estimated to be 1.8-metres long and weigh about 60 kilogrammes.
“This was the first time I had seen a hammerhead shark on the beach. Two years ago, a dolphin was stranded here and was rescued by the relevant authority,” Awang added.