Shark Risk off British Coast

Ever since I saw the classic movie Jaws back in 1975, I have been fascinated with sharks. Although only in second grade at the time, I read Peter Benchley’s novel and was enraptured (sure, I didn’t understand the sex stuff around the affair that was left out of the movie). Although all three sequels were crap, I was so hooked that I had to see them all on the big screen. For the next seven years, I swore that I was going to grow up and become an ichthyologist, devoting my life to researching sharks.

Well, the years go by and life takes its funny twists and turns. I never went on to the shark research gig (and have little idea how I ended up doing computer work for a living). Despite this, I never really got over my interest in sharks, as evidenced by my eagerness to post this and this.

Now, there’s this unusual occurence out of England, which I feel absolutely obligated to post.

The chilly waters off northeastern England are rarely that inviting for bathers, but at least those who do venture in for a dip have been able to do so in the knowledge they are safe from sharks.

Until now, that is.

In a virtually unprecedented warning, British maritime agencies warned surfers, divers and others thinking of braving the North Sea to be on the alert for a possible shortfin mako shark.

The discovery of a series of dead porpoises washed up onto beaches in northeast England, some with large chunks apparently bitten out of them, has prompted the warning, the Daily Mail newspaper reported on Wednesday.

Around 45 porpoises have been found along with the headless bodies of seals and remains of other large fish.

Experts say this points to the presence of a large mako shark nearby. The shark, which grows up to 12 feet (3.65 metres) in length, is known to be found in the North Sea but rarely ventures near shore.

It is thought that conservation efforts off northeast England which have greatly increased the local porpoise population might have attracted a shark, the paper said.

“We would advise all those using the water, including surfers, fishermen and divers, to be especially careful and vigilant,” the Maritime and Coastguard agency said in a statement.

“There have been no reported sightings of this shark yet, but we cannot rule out the possibility that one might be out there.”

Some of the porpoise bodies have been sent to London’s Natural History Museum so the cause of death can be determined, the paper added.

Just as a little added tidbit, the mako was the ridiculously-oversized species featured in the silly, disappointing flick Deep Blue Sea.