Great white sharks could soon appear in BRITAIN: Populations are moving towards Cornwall
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Great white sharks could soon appear in Britain: scientists warn populations are moving towards Cornwall in search of food
- Ocearch believes great white sharks could migrate to Ireland and Cornwall
- The waters are a good temperature to host sharks and both areas are home to seals
Great white sharks have been a distant nightmare for Britons since the release of Jaws in 1975.
But now experts are warning that these man-eating fish could soon appear in UK waters as they head north in search of prey.
US-based Ocearch, which has tracked 400 sharks, claims great whites are likely to move to Ireland and Cornwall this summer.
Not only is the water a perfect temperature this time of year, both locations are also chock-full of sea lion populations.
These attributes make an ideal hunting ground, according to Ocearch founder Chris Fischer who shared The times that sharks can stick around year after year.
Great white sharks have been a distant nightmare for Britons since the release of Jaws in 1975. But now experts are warning that these man-eating fish could soon appear in British waters as they head north in search of prey
He told the publication: “We believe that white sharks in the Mediterranean should move north to feed on seals, just like all the other populations we’ve worked on.
‘We think they should pass Brest [in Brittany] and Cornwall.’
While South Africa and Australia are often associated with great whites, these fish can be found in numerous places around the world.
Conservationist Richard Pierce claims over 100 ‘sightings’ have been reported in the UK in the last 15 years.
But only 12 of those remain credible, six of which took place on the Cornish coast.
Despite this lack of frequency, the British coastline is believed to provide ideal conditions for great white sharks.
The normal temperature range for this species is between 57.2°F/14°C and 68°F/20°C, which suits British waters in summer.
Gavin Naylor, the director of the Florida shark research program, believes there is “no reason” why they aren’t lurking near Britain.
“Strictly speaking, there is no reason why white sharks shouldn’t be found off the British coast,” he told MailOnline.
US-based Ocearch has tracked 400 sharks (highlighted in blue), in addition to turtles (dark green), dolphins (red) and alligators (light green).
‘The habitat is suitable and there is sufficient food available.’
However, Mr Naylor stressed that there is no clear contemporary evidence of their migration to the UK, even though they do swim close by from time to time.
He continued: ‘Predators move primarily to find food and/or mate.
‘Although there is plenty of potential food for white sharks in the waters off the UK coast, the white sharks are clearly content with the well-tried food supplies they are currently exploiting. This may of course change in the future.’