‘Man-eating shark’ reported off Cornwall

Two fishermen report seeing an oceanic white tip, with one claiming it rammed his boat

Two Cornish fishermen have reported seeing a man-eating shark off the coast of west Cornwall, with one claiming the predator rammed his boat.

The shark, descriptions of which point to it being an oceanic white tip, was spotted just a mile off the popular seaside town of St Ives.

The first fisherman to spot the shark told the Western Morning News: “I was interested, so I stood up to have a good look at it. As I was looking over the side of the boat, it just slammed into it. Then its head came out of the water by about a foot.”

“I have been fishing in these waters all my life and I have seen all sorts, but I have never seen one of those and I have never had a shark ram my boat.”

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The second fisherman to see the shark said: “We blatantly saw it, the two of us, and I’m 100% sure it was an oceanic white tip. The water was crystal clear and we had a perfect view,” he said.

If confirmed, it would be the first ever appearance of an oceanic white tip in British waters, with its northernmost range previously being Portugal.

This species of shark made headlines late last year after a numbers of bathers were attacked off the Red Sea resort of Sharm el Sheikh in Egypt.

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