Rare Breed Of ‘Walking Shark’ Spotted On Beach
Topics: Animals, Film and TV
Emily Brown
Featured Image Credit: Discovery/ Matthew Oldfield Underwater Photography / Alamy
Topics: Animals, Film and TV
In the latest instalment of 'your nightmares come to life', a rare 'walking shark' has been spotted making its way across land in Papau New Guinea.
I know what you're thinking - sharks can be scary enough when they're confined to the ocean, so the last thing we need is to have to start worrying about them on dry land too.
Thankfully, this shark is small enough that we probably don't need to have those fears - at least not yet.
Check it out below:
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Footage of the rare epaulette shark, also known as the Hemiscyllium Ocellatum, was shared amid Discovery's Shark Week as wildlife biologist Forrest Galante hosted Island of the Walking Sharks.
Far from the huge grey creatures you might conjure up in your mind upon hearing the word 'shark', the epaulette shark is a long, slender creature that is typically cream or brown in colour and is covered with spots.
They can venture out of the ocean to forage for food in tide pools, surviving for up to an hour without oxygen as they use their fins to 'walk' across the land.
Four stunning species of walking shark; one epic adventure 🦈🤿🐊🏝🎣 🛥
— Forrest Galante (@ForrestGalante) July 30, 2022
Catch up on it anytime on @discoveryplus at the link here:https://t.co/gx2Nv3M8WF pic.twitter.com/oa3adl4Vz2
After witnessing the rare scene, conservationist and biologist Galante said: “This is the first time in history one of the Papuan species of epaulettes has been documented walking.
"This is so incredible. All traits are selected for, when it allows a species to survive better and eke out an environment where they're safe and can get food.
"But once they're done, they're trapped. What epaulettes have learned to do is climb up in the reef and plop themselves in the next tide pool."
Though sharks of any kind learning to walk might be a slight concern to generations who encounter more evolved versions, for now we're safe from the creatures as they only feast on worms, bony fish and crustaceans.
Epaulettes only grow to around 25 inches in length, and tend to hunt at dawn and dusk to keep themselves safe.
.@ForrestGalante didn’t expect to find a Papuan Epaulette in a local fisherman’s catch, but we’re happy he did! #SharkWeek
— Shark Week (@SharkWeek) July 28, 2022
Island of the Walking Sharks continues on #SharkWeek pic.twitter.com/5tgojWJ04R
Galante was widely praised by fans of Shark Week after the walking shark was caught on camera, with one fan writing: "What a great show! And as always, only @ForrestGalante could find the sharks AND witness one walking on land."
Another commented: "@ForrestGalante once again, Forrest has my fav show on shark week. That was awesome. Thank you!"
The presenter himself admitted on Instagram he 'totally freak[ed] out' when he watched the scene unfold before him and encouraged people to catch up on the events on Discovery.
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