Critically Endangered Shark Spotted Off Coast of Ireland

One of the https://twitter.com/MarineInst/status/1663133069732085766 "rarest sharks in Europe" was spotted by a lucky class of junior kayakers off the coast of Galway, Ireland, on May 28. Kayak instructor Colin O'Loan recorded this video of the rare angel shark and told https://www.rte.ie/news/2023/0529/1386313-angel-shark/ RTE News the group of junior kayakers were snorkeling after finishing kayak camp when they spotted the fish. "The angel shark just wandered in amongst us. It was a real case of being in the right place at the right time - a million-to-one shot," he told https://www.rte.ie/news/2023/0529/1386313-angel-shark/ RTE News . Scientists at https://twitter.com/MarineInst The Marine Institute in Ireland https://twitter.com/MarineInst/status/1663133069732085766 confirmed the footage shows an angel shark, and wrote that they were delighted to confirm the sighting. According to the https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/39332/117498371 International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the angel shark is a bottom-dwelling, nocturnal shark that lives in shallow water, preferring sandy bottoms where "it lies buried with little more than its eyes protruding in waiting for prey." The shark is currently on IUCN's red list as a critically endangered species, with a decreasing population trend. (Footage by Colin O'Loan/Storyful via Getty Images UGC)