MONTEREY BAY, CALIFORNIA — The body of a great white shark was found decapitated by the California shoreline, not only dead but missing body parts that some believe were taken as trophies.
The 10-foot-long juvenile great white's body was spotted by surfers and homeowners in Santa Cruz on Thursday evening, SFGate reported.
Researchers from the Pelagic Shark Research Foundation arrived to gather the dead specimen, but it was gone. The next morning, the shark's body had resurfaced, but was noticeably absent of its dorsal fin and most of its teeth.
Officials suggest the body parts were hacked off by vandals looking for keepsakes. Tampering with shark corpses is illegal in California.
Authorities have no leads regarding suspects at this time.
