Oceanic White Tip in Cornish waters.

[eastlondonseagull]

Definitely only a basking shark. Second biggest fish on the planet, and they're alive and well off the south coast of Britain every year to feed on plankton.

If you take a lilo out, you can come face to face with them. But they dont like scuba bubbles, so snorkels and masks are best bet for a good view. Their fins do look scarily like those of great white sharks when that's all you can see of them in the water, but they eat only plankton. Not people

 

[Yoda]

Almost certainly a basking shark - totally harmless (unless you are plankton)

 

[sully]

I might have to pop down and see if I can get some photos!

 

[Commander]

Definitely only a basking shark. Second biggest fish on the planet, and they're alive and well off the south coast of Britain every year to feed on plankton.

If you take a lilo out, you can come face to face with them. But they dont like scuba bubbles, so snorkels and masks are best bet for a good view. Their fins do look scarily like those of great white sharks when that's all you can see of them in the water, but they eat only plankton. Not people

The story is that the shark attacked the boat, putting it's head a foot out of the water, then swam off and atracked another boat. A basking shark wouldn't do that, and any fisherman would be able to tell the difference between a plankton-eating Basking Shark and an Oceanic White Tip. And they don't look like Oceanic White Tips much either.

But I still think it's bollocks.

 

[bhaexpress]

Well as it's PSB I don't have a problem as long as they're white but not gay.

 

[Barrel of Fun]

It must be a concern that a OWT has been spotted so close to land, as presumably this points to a lack of food in the open water?

Mankinds (kind?) answer being kill the sharks, see Sharm el Sheik.

Nice.

Sent from somewhere beyond the sea...

 

[salty seagull]

are they free to collect?

 

[Taybha]

fishing a few years back aboard my own small beach boat with a friend , we were a mile out off the cliffs at peacehaven trolling slowly for bass with rappala lures , out of the blue a thresher shark cruised up beside the boat lingered a while then with a flick of its huge tail vanished , never seen one before or since , beautifull creatures , the summer of 76 saw a influx of basking shark off the west pier , another 1 degree rise in mean sea temperatures will see the spread to british waters of many shark species

 

[public school boy]

fishing a few years back aboard my own small beach boat with a friend , we were a mile out off the cliffs at peacehaven trolling slowly for bass with rappala lures , out of the blue a thresher shark cruised up beside the boat lingered a while then with a flick of its huge tail vanished , never seen one before or since , beautifull creatures , the summer of 76 saw a influx of basking shark off the west pier , another 1 degree rise in mean sea temperatures will see the spread to british waters of many shark species

Threshers are quite common off the southern coast of Ireland and are found in British waters. One should have NO reason to doubt that we do get Great Whites off our shore line. Blue sharks will give you a nasty bite and are quite often found off our beaches but along way out. The last recorded Shark attack in British waters was back in 2008 off the north coast of Devon.

 

[Commander]

One should have NO reason to doubt that we do get Great Whites off our shore line.

I don't think we do. There has never been a confirmed sighting of one, even though there is no real reason why they wouldn't be there. Surely at some point somebody would have taken a clear photo of one if they were there?

 

[Simster]

I don't think we do. There has never been a confirmed sighting of one, even though there is no real reason why they wouldn't be there. Surely at some point somebody would have taken a clear photo of one if they were there?

I suspect it was more likely before WW2 when the native population of tuna in the Med was in sufficient supply to support the permanent presence of Great Whites.

 

[public school boy]

I don't think we do. There has never been a confirmed sighting of one, even though there is no real reason why they wouldn't be there. Surely at some point somebody would have taken a clear photo of one if they were there?

I agree that there are not pictures of Whites off our shore line YET but there have been many sightings. One day some poor surfer/ swimmer is going to be proof. Our waters can support Whites. Enough food and the right temp. I'm off to Cornwall tomorrow and hope to get home in one piece.

 

[turienzo's lovechild]

do we get killer whales in british waters? if we do it may explain the lack of great whites

 

[Simster]

do we get killer whales in british waters? if we do it may explain the lack of great whites

No. Nor do we get vast schools of HONEY BADGERS patrolling our waters either.

Although I believe this is because the honey kitten is too gay to get in the water.

 

[Commander]

No. Nor do we get vast schools of HONEY BADGERS patrolling our waters either.

Although I believe this is because the honey kitten is too gay to get in the water.

That's not strictly true. There are no Orcas or Great Whites because the Honey Badgers chased them all away.

 

[public school boy]

We DO get Killer Whales.

 

[Marc]

Orca whale family spotted off Cornwall | The Sun |News

 

[daveinprague]

There were 'large' shark sightings off N.Cornwall a couple of years ago wasn't there? One of the things that prompted me to join the navy was my father telling me about his ship stopping and everybody swimming in the sultry tropical seas. Got my own chance coming back from far east. Was in like a shot. Swam maybe 50 yards away from ship looked back and saw marine on top of bridge with rifle and remembered we were in the Indian ocean. I've never swam faster in my life back to the ship, possibly with an oily brown slick following me. Relieved to get back on the ship and went over my friends who pointed down at the fecking sea snake i had just swam past to come back aboard. I got really drunk that night afterwards.