Huge shark fin spotted off Cornwall coast freaks out beachgoers

19 February 2023 , 20:54

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Beachgoers in Cornwall have warned swimmers and surfers to proceed with 'caution' after spotting an 'unusually' large fin which they believe may be that of a shark (Image: Jacquie Williams)

Swimmers have been warned to proceed with ‘caution’ after beachgoers spotted an ‘unusually’ large fin patrolling the waters.

The fin, which may be that of a shark, was spotted at around 11am this morning (February 19) by a woman in Gunwalloe near Porthleven on the south Cornish coast.

She was able to snap an image of what looks like a large fin not far from the beach, leading to concern among swimmers and beach-goers.

One local said the fin that was spotted from 30 metres away seemed too large for "the average basking shark", Cornwall Live reports.

Other commenters said the fin could belong to a dolphin or possibly a seal, with the grainy image making it hard to identify.

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A Basking shark pictured feeding on plankton off the Hebrides, Scotland (Getty Images/Robert Harding World Imagery)

The local explained: "The photo was taken at around 11 am at Gunwalloe from about 30 meters 'ish', I can't say what type of shark it is but it doesn't look like the average basking shark so thought I would just mention its presence just in case.

“Either way, dangerous or not, it's unusual to see any type of shark inshore this time of year and with a fin that size."

It's not the first time that sharks have been spotted along the Cornish coast, with a blue shark seen near Trelissick beach last summer. At the time, the sighting was described by Dan Jarvis, of the charity British Divers Marine Life Rescue as "worrying".

Blue sharks can get up to 13 feet in length (Getty Images)

He said that sharks don't typically come that close to beaches and feared that someone could become injured.

In early August last year, the Penzance Coastguard Rescue Team were dispatched to help a snorkeler who was believed to have sustained a shark bite.

The swimmer had suffered a leg injury and was passed to the care of an ambulance team.

While basking sharks are harmless, blue sharks have attacked humans, though incidents are described on the British Sea Fishing website as "extremely rare", with only four fatal and 25 non-fatal attacks having been confirmed.

Mary Stenson