Brighton diver hatches shark egg he found on beach

Gio Reale came across the cat shark egg on the shore at Brighton in July after it was washed up in a storm.

He took it to Brighton Watersports, where he works as an instructor, and set up a hatchery for it and nurtured it. Lenny the shark was born and, four months after finding the egg, Gio had a bittersweet moment where he released him into the sea.

The 22-year-old, who lives in Brighton, said: “It was a really rewarding experience. I sometimes come across shark eggs and they’re normally empty but this one wasn’t.

“The owners allowed me to set up a hatchery for him and we went and collected some water for him every day whatever the weather.

A Cat shark (Image: Gio Reale)

“It was upsetting to let him go after seeing him for hours every day.

"There had been times when I was away and I was constantly worried about him.

“It’s all really rewarding and I would definitely do it again.”

Watch Lenny's story here:

@gioscuba

 

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Gio, who regularly dives off the Sussex coast, said he cared for the lesser cat shark, also known as a dogfish, for over four months.

Once he was ready to be released, he took Lenny out to the sea near the West Pier and let him go.

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Cat sharks can be commonly found around Sussex’s shoreline and are one of numerous species of shark in the UK.

They grow to roughly a metre long and are often found around seabeds.

Gio Reale looking after the shark (Image: Gio Reale)

The hatchery for the shark was the second set up by Brighton Watersports this year. It also reared more than 50 cuttlefish rescued from the shore.

Gio said: “This is the first year we have done it. It really shows the diversity of wildlife around here.

“We would love to try and hatch a ray next time as we often find them too.

“It has been an amazing feeling and really rewarding.”