An influx of great white sharks could be headed towards UK waters this summer, according to scientists. The warm summer sea temperatures, which hover around 16C, create an ideal environment for these formidable predators to thrive.
Utah-based Ocearch, an organization that tracks marine animals, has identified Ireland and Cornwall as potential hotspots for great white sharks during the summer months.
These areas are particularly attractive due to their high seal populations, a primary food source for the sharks.
Chris Fischer, founder of Ocearch, told The Times: "We believe that Mediterranean white sharks should be moving north to feed on seals, like all the other populations we have worked on. We believe they should be moving up past Brest [in Brittany] and Cornwall."
Great white sharks, equipped with around 300 teeth, are capable of detecting the smallest drop of blood from a quarter-mile away, making them efficient and stealthy hunters.
The potential presence of these predators has raised concerns, particularly given the recent rise in unsettling shark videos circulating online, such as a tope shark spotted near Bournemouth Beach in June.
Over the past 15 years, more than 100 sightings of sharks near the British Isles have been reported, but many experts believe the majority of these are misidentified.
Richard Peirce, a wildlife conservationist, noted that only twelve sightings were deemed credible, with some cases potentially involving the same shark.
The primary shark species seen in UK waters include basking sharks, blue sharks, shortfin mako sharks, and Greenland sharks. While Greenland sharks are the second-largest carnivorous sharks after great whites, they are typically found in deeper waters.
Experts from the University of Plymouth remain uncertain about the future presence of great white sharks in UK waters.
"So why aren't they [great white sharks] in our waters?... The truth is nobody really knows", they said.
"Some hypothesise they have not just yet discovered our shores. Whereas some say their migration is not worth the energy it would take. While others believe they are in fact here but remaining hidden, apart from the occasional speculative sighting."
Related articles
- Discovery Channel footage has fans convinced 70ft megalodon shark 'still exists'
- Terrifying moment shark 'circles' terrified Brit tourists
- Jaws actress Susan Backlinie that played first shark victim in franchise dies
- Town terrorised by 'man-sized duck-eating' catfish
- Shark attacks rock neighbouring tourist beaches causing ‘devastating injuries'