Shark Warning Issued for the Seas off Sokcho and Yangyang... Multiple Shark Carcasses Found

Shark carcasses have been repeatedly found in the waters off Sokcho City and Yangyang County in Gangwon Province. The Coast Guard has strengthened safety management measures and urged water recreation visitors to be cautious.

On the morning of the 1st, the Sokcho Coast Guard announced that a fishing boat operating 7.5 km east of Susan Port in Yangyang County, Gangwon, discovered a dead Sevengill shark measuring 210 cm in length and 120 cm in circumference.

Shark carcass found in the waters off Yangyang on the 1st. [Photo by Sokcho Coast Guard]

Earlier, on the 23rd of last month, a Sevengill shark carcass was bycaught near Sokcho Port, and a great white shark carcass was bycaught near Jangsa Port. At that time, after consulting with the National Institute of Fisheries Science Whale Research Center, the species found were confirmed to be Sevengill sharks measuring 240 cm and 180 cm in length, respectively.

The Sevengill shark inhabits the North Pacific, including Korea, Japan, the United States, and Mexico, and is known to grow up to 300 cm in length.

It mainly feeds on salmon and resembles the great white shark in appearance but is smaller in size than the great white shark.

There have been no reports of Sevengill sharks attacking humans, unlike great white sharks. Since they mainly inhabit temperate or cold regions, they are occasionally found along the East Sea coasts of Gyeongbuk, such as Gyeongju and Pohang, as well as the East Sea coast of Gangwon.

However, great white sharks do sometimes attack humans. On the same day, a great white shark was caught in the net of a fishing boat operating about 2.7 km east of Jangsa Port, Sokcho. The bycaught great white shark measured 195 cm in length and 95 cm in circumference.

[Photo by Sokcho Coast Guard]

The great white shark, also known as the "man-eating shark" popularized by the movie "Jaws," has been recorded to frequently appear in Korea’s western seas, including Gunsan in Jeonbuk, Boryeong in Chungnam, Baengnyeongdo, and Incheon.

The repeated appearances of aggressive sharks are presumed to be caused by rising sea temperatures due to climate change. The problem is that great white sharks are advancing into shallow waters such as swimming beaches.

Accordingly, the Sokcho Coast Guard has informed local leisure business operators, such as surfers and divers, about the shark sightings and urged them to exercise safety precautions.

They also requested nearby local governments to broadcast warnings for accident prevention and strengthened coastal safety patrols through local police stations.