Tope shark seems to be reproducing around Wadden Islands

Researchers found four newborn tope sharks around Terschelling and Ameland this past week. The Waddenvereniging is delighted by the find. This “confirms the image that the Wadden sea is used as a birthing ground” for the tope shark. The species is in bad shape worldwide, which is why the association for the Wadden islands considers this “hopeful news.”

Adult tope sharks grow to almost two meters in length. They can travel great distances. Shrimpers had recently found females and young tope sharks in their catch. For researchers of the Swimway Waddenzee project, these reports prompted further investigation. They discovered that more tope shark pups are swimming around in the area. They have not yet found adult females who can be given a transmitter so that they can be tracked. The four little ones were between 28 and 37 centimeters tall. That’s too small for a transmitter.

Swimway Waddenzee is a collaboration of the Waddenvereniging, the Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research (NIOZ), and Wageningen Marine Research, among others.