A 12ft shark forced a historic beach closure in Jersey after it was spotted lurking just 40 metres from swimmers, prompting lifeguards to hoist red flags and order everyone out of the water.
The emergency lockdown at St Ouen's Bay began at around 10.40am on Saturday when the grey fish glided into the popular bay. The closure lasted approximately 45 minutes, and lifeguards initially thought the report was a hoax.
Lifeguard's Close Encounter
RNLI lifeguard Tom Rolls said he and his colleagues were skeptical at first. Speaking to the Bailiwick Express, he said: "We got the call through from one of the guards at Watersplash, and he basically said that a shark had been spotted in the line-up."
He added: "Initially, we were like, 'that's a joke, you're having us on here.' But then he was persistent. He said multiple sightings had been seen by members of the public."
The drama escalated when the shark swam directly beneath another lifeguard, named Nick, who had to fend it off with his bare hands. Mr Rolls said: "He said it looked definitely more like a shark than anything else. He even said he kind of punched it as he was paddling, so it must have been really close to the surface."
Beach Evacuated
Beachgoers were taken aback as lifeguards blew the whistle and ordered everyone back to dry land. Mr Rolls said: "Everyone was super calm about it. There were lots of surprised looks, obviously - us included – as it's never happened before. It's the first time in history that Jersey has closed the beach for a shark sighting."
Teenage surf instructor Jesse Heddercott, 16, was in the middle of a lesson when the order came to evacuate the ocean. "Nothing like this has ever happened in Jersey before, so it's pretty crazy," he told the BBC. "We thought it was just a tuna, or something, but then another lifeguard spotted it and it was confirmed to be – probably – a shark. They red–flagged the beach and we all had to get out."
Fortunately, the beast headed south away from the beach, leaving beachgoers unharmed.
Previous Shark Discovery
The incident comes hot on the heels of another shark encounter in the area, after a 600kg, four-metre shark washed up dead at nearby Grève d'Azette. Rescuers from the British Divers Marine Life Rescue rushed to the scene to save the beast, which was later identified as an endangered smalltooth sand tiger shark.
Experts said: "The animal was identified as a smalltooth sand tiger shark. It is an elusive and deep–water species, typically found in warm and tropical oceans globally." They added: "They are also listed as endangered on the IUCN red list and are considered naturally uncommon, with minimal research into the species to date."
"The first confirmed records in the UK and Irish waters of this species were only published in 2023, when three individual sharks were recorded in the English Channel and Celtic Sea. Their sightings may be linked to warmer than average sea temperatures contributing to a northward shift in the species' range."
