I'm sure there's been threads on this before, but start another one if you want to talk about this, this thread is about "fun" (untrue) stuff like great-white sharks. You can start it by with 2 points:
a) How many Guardians have you ever read, to know how boring it is?
b) Given that you'd prefer to read "fun" lies, than "boring" fact, that casts quite a light on your input on all the political debates on NSC, doesn't it?
...
I AM an authority or sharks, so all bow to my opinion....
Seriously, had a bit with these animals in my time and studied them. As others have already said, expert opinion is practically unanimous in thinking this is a Basking shark, which I've seen a few times when diving off St Ives, rather than a GW. The Sun runs this story every summer now, you can tell it's a no-news period too with parliament in recess, reports about Jelly beans and Big Brother etc. But it sells papers (certainly caught my interest, though the funny that the Daily Telegraph's not even mentioned it) 2 years ago they showed a picture a tourist took from the cliffs saying with the headline "Is this Jaws?". Anyone who's even watched Finding Nemo could see it was a Basking shark though.
Someone correctly stated that the Bay of Biscay is the furthest north one's ever been a confirmed sighting for (just off La Rochelle). There is a dying population in the Med of GW's because it's primary food source (Tuna) has been all but wiped out. Always a rare creature, sightings are very few and far between now a days. Last confirmed sighting there most famously bumped a boat in the Adriatic and was caught on camera in 2001. I've got some photos of another caught in Malta in the mid-80's from the fisherman who snared it. Almost a record catch at c20ft / 3tonnes.
It's extremely likely that GW's have visited our waters at some point in time and experts often pose the question - why wouldN'T they be here? Abundant and preferred food in seals, right temperature and so forth. With increasing human use of the sea for recreation as well as fishing, the chances of finally getting a confirmed sighting in British waters are higher than ever, though it would be an appalling tragedy if one was killed in order to prove its existence;they're not on the WWF endangered species list for nothing. If you're lucky or unlucky (depending on your view!) enough to see one whilst swimming, diving etc, you'd be well advised to leave the water regardless. However it's unlikely you'd be attacked at that stage because it's always the one you never saw that would have bitten you - they're apex predators and just many others, you'd never see it coming if it was intent on killing you rather than looking out of curiosity.
Finally, if you're interested in the Oceans like me, this is a great website to frequent daily: www.underwatertimes.com
So enjoy, get back in the water, and don't be scared. The sea is a wonderful place to visit!
