Hunt for great white SHARKS off UK coast begins with team of scientists probing string of ‘sightings’

SCIENTISTS have begun the hunt to find great white sharks off the UK coast with a specialist team investigating possible sightings.

Beach-goers might not be jumping for joy at the prospect of one of the sea’s most fearsome creatures roaming British and Irish shores.

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Scientists think great white sharks could be in UK waters[/caption]

But scientists leading the research say the discovery of sharks on our shores “would be the greatest thing we have ever achieved on the water.”

Top experts picked the Great Blasket Island in Co Kerry, to begin their search for the first recorded great white shark in Irish or UK waters.

US non-profit research organisation Ocearch is cautiously optimistic that they can create history by finding a great white shark in the waters where we live.

Chris Fischer, founder of Ocearch, told Sky News: “It would be the shark heard around the world.

“It would be the greatest thing we have ever achieved on the water.

“It would be the greatest gift we could give to any region of the world for their future, because that one shark would show people in this area and other research institutions where they can then potentially work on them and get more of the work going.”

For decades, the possibility of great white sharks in British or Irish seas has remained a mystery.

Unconfirmed sightings are few and far between and hoaxes have been known. 

There has never been a confirmed great white shark sighting in British or Irish waters – however – scientists believe the conditions are perfect.

Ireland alone is already home to 40 shark species, such as the basking shark, porbeagle, and tope shark.

Dr Nick Payne, assistant professor at Trinity College Dublin’s School of Natural Sciences and shark expert, explains why scientists believe sharks would be comfortable in the area.

He said: “It’s not too hot, it’s not too cold, the food here is right, both here in Ireland and throughout different parts of the UK.”

The shark expert added: “This is like a Goldilocks environment for these animals.”

As part of their Save the Med initiative, Ocearch teams will survey not just British shores but also those of France, Ireland, and Spain, in an effort to collect data on the region’s critically endangered great white population.

Confirmed great white sightings have occurred as far north as the Bay of Biscay, where a young female great white was caught off La Rochelle in 1977.

Anglers have claimed to have spotted the beasts off the coast off Devon and Cornwall in recent years.

And in 2017, fisherman Graeme Pullen said a Great White was lurking off southern beaches – and could attack any moment.

Mr Pullen, who pursued the man-eater for two years, said: “Make no mistake, this is the big one.

“This is surely Britain’s first Great White.”

The frequency of shark encounters around the UK has been on the rise, largely attributed to the uptick in sea temperatures.

The community around Ilfracombe in North Devon reports more frequent shark observations, alongside booming numbers of seals and bluefin tuna.

Scientists believe that warm water and abundant food could be enticing endangered Mediterranean white sharks to make the 4,000-mile journey north during summer and autumn to hunt for prey in the waters of the UK, Ireland and France.

Last year, Ocearch, a Utah-based organisation that tracks 437 marine animals, suggested that areas like Ireland and Cornwall could be ideal habitats for great whites during the summer months.

With sea temperatures in these regions often reaching a comfortable 16C, they provide perfect conditions for hungry great whites.

Moreover, places such as Cornwall and Ireland are teeming with seals – a favourite in the diet of great whites, along with dolphins, turtles and other sharks.