AN autopsy will be carried out on a shark found washed up dead on a Walton beach. 

A tope, also known as school shark, was found dead at the weekend. 

Tope sharks are critically endangered because they are often hunted for their fins. 

Content warning: Please be advised there is an uncensored image of the shark on the beach in this article. 

Coast - Walton beach Coast - Walton beach (Image: Newsquest) Neil Marples, from the British Divers Marine Life Rescue, said: "A relatively large shark was washed up dead on a Walton beach.

"It was identified as a tope and removed by members of the Tendring Seal Watch Team.

"It's being sent to the Cetacean Strandings Investigation Programme for an autopsy."

Beached - the dead tope shark on the beach Beached - the dead tope shark on the beach (Image: Neil Marples) Mr Marples said that there are several species of shark off of the Sunshine Coast. 

He said: "We do have four types of shark that swim off of our coastline, including the small lesser spotted dogfish, the smooth-hound, the spurdog and the biggest and least common, the tope.

"They are normally only found over ten miles out to sea and none of them are aggressive towards people."

Topes can grow up to 2m long and can live for more than 50 years. 

Walton councillor Pierre Oxley said: "The recent discovery of a critically endangered tope shark washed up on Walton Beach is both concerning and a reminder of the challenges many marine species face in our local waters.

"As a species listed as critically endangered, the tope shark's decline is a direct result of overfishing, habitat destruction, and environmental pressures.

"While we don’t yet know the specific cause of this tragic incident, it serves as an urgent call to action for increased conservation efforts in our coastal areas.

"We must work together with local marine conservation groups, scientists, and fishing communities to protect vulnerable species and ensure the health of our marine ecosystems for future generations."

To inform the British Divers Marine Life Rescue organisation about a washed up animal, call the rescue hotline at 01825 765546.