‘Giant’ shark appears on Cape Cod beach, prompting odd call for tow truck, cops say 

A great white shark described as “giant” appeared on a Cape Cod beach, and authorities took the unusual step of calling a flatbed tow truck to remove it.

The discovery was made in Orleans, Massachusetts, about a 90-mile drive southeast from Boston, and police treated the shark like a stuck car.

“Not one of our typical calls for service. Nor is it one for our local duty tow ... But, as always, we answered the call,” Orleans police wrote in a Tuesday, Oct. 15, Facebook post.

“Unfortunately, this giant was located washed up on the beach, and just as with a 4x4 stuck on the outer, we called ... to tow it away. You really never know what kind of call you’ll respond to on any given shift.”

The shark left the beach on its back — with mouth gaping — giving passing motorists a full view of its large teeth.

One police officer was assigned to follow the tow truck — just in case.

Researchers at the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy performed a necropsy on the carcass in hopes of learning about its anatomy and a possible cause of death.

A preliminary examination revealed it was a 12-foot-long male known to researchers by the name Koala. It had been first encountered in 2022, the conservancy said.

“There are no obvious signs of how or why Koala died. Further testing will have to be done to find a cause of death,” the conservancy officials wrote in an Oct. 16 Facebook post.

“As it is incredibly sad that a white shark has died, samples of organs, tissues, vertebrate sections, and more are used to further the knowledge of this species.”

White sharks are attracted to New England this time of year to prey on bluefin tuna and gray seals, experts say.

Photos show the shark had sections of skin missing, but that may have happened after it died.

This story was originally published October 15, 2024 at 3:24 PM with the headline "‘Giant’ shark appears on Cape Cod beach, prompting odd call for tow truck, cops say ."