A fishing expert has claimed that a great white shark is lurking off the coast of Britain, sparking fears of a Jaws-like scenario for holidaymakers. Graeme Pullen, who has spent two years tracking the predator near Hayling Island, Hampshire, warned that the shark could pose a threat to the public if it ventures closer to shore.
Pullen told the Mirror: 'Make no mistake, this is the big one. This is surely Britain's first great white, and it'll be coming back this summer. The danger is this shark will eventually stumble across someone in a wetsuit and mistake them for a seal.' He has spent 40 years catching and tagging sharks for the US National Marine Fisheries Service.
Several witnesses have reported sightings. Commercial skipper Pete Williams said: 'It was huge, the biggest shark I have seen, and it looked like a great white. It literally wrenched the net out of my arms and ripped through it like tissue paper.' Shark fisherman Wayne Comben added: 'I saw a very big dorsal fin. I can't see what else it could have been other than a great white.'
Potential shark attacks have also been linked to a rise in dead dolphins washing up on Cornwall beaches. Although no great whites have been confirmed in UK waters, experts note that warmer temperatures could attract them. The warning comes after a blue shark was euthanized in Magaluf, Spain, after terrifying bathers on three beaches.
