Honolulu: Between 50 and 100 baby hammerhead sharks have been found dead near a sailing club in Hawaii.

Hawaii's Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement has opened an investigation following the discovery of the shark pups piled up near La Mariana Sailing Club on the shores of Keehi Lagoon in Honolulu.

The lagoon is a known birthing location for hammerhead sharks, but it is not natural for shark pups to be found on shore in large numbers, state officials said.

The sharks may have been netted and dumped on land by a fisherman, said Andrew Rossiter, the director of the Waikiki Aquarium.

"To breathe, they have to keep moving, so once they're in the net for even two to three minutes, they're unable to breathe and they suffocate," Rossiter told KHON-TV.