On a quiet evening near Manzanita, Oregon, just outside Nehalem Bay State Park, a routine stroll turned into a dramatic act of wildlife rescue.
Colleen Dunn, walking her dogs along the beach at low tide, noticed what she first thought was a piece of driftwood about 15 feet ahead. When the object moved, she realised it was a small shark struggling on the sand.
Mary Dunn – sorry, Colleen Dunn – quickly assessed the situation. With water receding and the shark unable to return to depth, she made a split-second decision to help.
She grabbed the shark’s tail, pulled it into a shallow tide pool to give it a chance, then carried it further and gently tossed it into the waves. The shark revived, pumped water through its gills, and swam away into deeper water.
Key Details of the Event
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Rescuer | Colleen Dunn |
| Location | Manzanita beach near Nehalem Bay State Park |
| Species | Juvenile salmon shark (about 3 feet / 1 metre) |
| Date of incident | Early November 2025 (reported Nov 7) |
| Method | Grabbed shark by tail → moved to tide pool → returned to deeper water |
| Initial misidentification | Thought shark was a seal pup or baby great white |
| Outcome | Shark regained movement and swam away |
Why This Matters
This rescue highlights several important points:
- Wildlife awareness: At low tide, marine animals like sharks can become stranded or stuck in shallows. Dunn’s observation and swift action gave this shark a second chance.
- Safety first: Dunn admitted she was nervous—she has three children and didn’t want to risk a bite. She chose to grab the tail because sharks can’t reach back that way.
- Human-nature connection: Dunn, a former resident of Hawaii, said the ocean “keeps her present and humble.” Her personal bond with the sea prompted the rescue.
- Conservation message: The incident draws attention to the fragile boundary between land and sea at low tide—people walking beaches should stay alert and respectful of marine life.
How the Rescue Happened – Step by Step
- Dogs lead the way on a beach walk; Dunn spots the struggling shark ahead.
- She approaches cautiously, thinking for a moment the object might be something else.
- Realising it’s a shark and trapped in shallow water, she moves quickly.
- She grabs the shark by the tail, pulling it into a shallow tide pool to allow some breathing movement.
- Observing the outgoing tide and limited depth, she carries the shark a further stretch and tosses it into deeper waves.
- The shark revives, begins to move, and swims off into open water—no subsequent stranding reported.
What began as a casual beach walk ended in a memorable act of kindness and marine rescue. Colleen Dunn’s quick thinking saved the life of a juvenile salmon shark near Manzanita, Oregon.
Her story reminds us all: awareness, empathy and respect for the natural world can turn an ordinary outing into something truly extraordinary.