Police Seek Tips on Who Decapitated a Shark Found on Washington Coast

Published 09/15/2026 at 8:55 p.m.
By Oregon Coast Beach Connection Staff

(Ocean Shores, Washington) – Last week, a deceased thresher shark washed up on the Washington coast at Ocean Shores. Social media quickly spread the find, but within the day – perhaps within hours – someone removed the head. (Above: file photo of another Thresher shark, found by Seaside Aquarium)

That is illegal, according to Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), and now the law enforcement arm of WDFW is asking for tips from the public about who did it.

In a series of public statements made to regional media, WDFW said Thresher sharks are common. Indeed, Seaside Aquarium reports a find or two every year along the Oregon coast – usually in winter.

WDFW researcher Lisa Hillier has been telling Pacific Northwest media outlets that this and other strandings allow unique chances for study. That's one of the primary reasons why chopping up a deceased creature on the beach is illegal. She said the latest carcass near Ocean Shores was tampered with, leaving officials unable to collect key biological data.

You can see photos of the Ocean Shores, Washington Thresher shark here. Scroll down through comments and you can see the head removed later in the day

Much of the information researchers get requires the animals to be intact. If the head is removed, this changes the measurements. Cause of death and the ability to study that is greatly hampered as well.

File photo / Seaside Aquarium

Hillier said this is also important to try and figure out if the shark's death was from accidental fishing – or bycatch. Or if a disease was involved.

Hillier said more sharks could appear along Washington’s coast in the coming months. Thresher shark distribution is strongly influenced by water temperature, and El Niño conditions bring warmer currents that allow tropical species to move farther north.

It's quite possible we'll be seeing more kinds of creatures that we normally don't see along the Washington coast or Oregon coast.

File photo / Seaside Aquarium

Recreational fishing for common thresher sharks is closed in all Washington waters. All three thresher shark species are listed as vulnerable to extinction by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

WDFW said that if you encounter a stranded shark or marine mammal you shoud not to touch or move it, and to report the sighting immediately. Marine mammals can also be reported through the regional stranding network or by calling the hotline at 1-866-767-6114.

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