NAVARRE BEACH, Fla. – A 15-foot-long great white shark washed up on a Florida beach on Friday.
According to a post on social media by the Navarre Beach Fire Rescue, officials responded to the beach and encountered the deceased great white shark, measuring 13-15 feet.
The shark weighed 1,500 pounds and fire rescue personnel removed the carcass.
NOAA experts were brought in to perform a necropsy which revealed the shark was not pregnant.
The shark was about 30 years old.
NOAA said they found a fishing hook embedded in her jaw and have collected data and samples to send for a full pathology to help determine the cause of death.
According to OCEARCH, great white sharks are apex predators and are at the top of the food chain. As top predators, they are central to the functioning of ecosystems and maintain biodiversity.