Fear for beachgoers after giant ‘shark fin’ spotted off UK coast

FEARS are mounting among beachgoers after what appeared to be a giant ‘shark fin’ was seen off the UK coast.

The fin was sighted off the south coast of Cornwall by a woman in Gunwalloe, near Porthleven, around 11am on Sunday.

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The woman was able to snap a snap of the “shark fin” near the beach – which has raised concerns among swimmers and beachgoers.

A local told Cornwall Live that from about 30 meters away, the fin seemed too big for “the average basking shark”.

Other commenters have speculated that the fin could be a dolphin or even a seal, as the grainy image makes it difficult to properly identify.

The local said: “The photo was taken around 11am in Gunwalloe from about 30 meters ‘ish’ I can’t tell what type of shark it is but it doesn’t look like your average basking shark so I thought I would just mention his presence just in case.

“Either way, dangerous or not, it’s unusual to see any type of shark with a fin this size on shore at this time of year.”

A blue shark was spotted near Trelissick Beach last summer.

Dan Jarvis from the charity British Divers Marine Life Rescue called the sighting “worrying”.

He added that sharks don’t usually come this close to beaches and feared someone might get hurt.

In August last year, the Penzance Coastguard rescue team rushed to the aid of a snorkeler who was believed to have been bitten by a shark.

The swimmer had suffered a leg injury and was taken into the care of paramedics.

While basking sharks are harmless to humans, blue sharks have been known to attack, although incidents are considered “extremely rare”, according to the British Sea Fishing website.

Only four fatal and 25 non-fatal attacks were confirmed.

The last sighting of an allegedly deadly Great White near a UK coast was in St Ives in 2007.

Another great white was sighted by experienced fishermen off the coast of Padstow in August 1999.

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