Great White Shark Competition: 14-Foot ‘Sea Monster’ Off Britain’s Coast More Dangerous?
Could the great white shark have some competition in the vast oceans of the world? According to Express UK, a 14-foot “sea monster” was spotted off the coast of Britain, and some say that the “sea monster” could be more deadly than the feared great white. Some experts in the area believe that the unconfirmed sea creature (seen below) could be a different species of shark, one that could prove more dangerous to humans than a white shark.
“The shark was recorded swimming 20 miles from Falmouth, Cornwall by fisherman Nigel Hodge, 44, who posted a picture on his Cornish Fishing Facebook page. Most agreed the body size and fin shape ruled out smaller, less aggressive species such as porbeagles, blues and makos.”
Some great white shark experts believe that the shark photographed off the coast of Britain was, in fact, a great white. However, closer observation suggests that it might have been an oceanic whitetip shark. According to Wikipedia, the whitetip is “aggressive but slow-moving.” The species has been dubbed “the most dangerous of all sharks” by famed oceanographic researcher Jacques Cousteau. The shark has been known to conduct “fatal attacks on humans,” far more than the great white has been responsible for over the years.
Bit late this year but here’s the 2014 edition of Cornish Jaws http://t.co/2Iu5iUB0cK pic.twitter.com/QPQyS4hNA2
— James White (@James_G_White) September 15, 2014
Bob Shotter, a shark expert in the area, said that he believes the shark pictured above is, in fact, an oceanic whitetip shark.
“My first view of the film was to dismiss it as just another basking shark video but since then a closer look and my thoughts were leaning towards an oceanic white tip, that or a thresher shark. The tail is the give away: it is too short for a thresher, too long for a mako and totally different to a porgi. My money is on a young oceanic whitetip shark.”
Great white sharks have been surfacing quite a bit in much colder waters than normal. According to The Inquisitr, great whites have been spotted several times on Cape Cod in Massachusetts this year (two were spotted just the other day). Each summer, more and more whites migrate up the east coast, which is somewhat alarming. The oceanic whitetip isn’t prevalent in Massachusetts or the colder waters of the east coast. Mainly, these deadly sharks are found in the warmer waters of the Northwest and Western Central Atlantic.
[Photo courtesy of Wikipedia]
