Fifty years ago, Peter Benchley wrote a book that, with its subsequent Stephen Spielberg film, would make millions of people think twice about “going in the water again”.
Jaws was a brilliant shark horror story but, as its author later regretted, led to the increased demonisation of sharks, especially the species in the title role: the great white. In reality, shark attacks on humans are rare, with between 60 and 70 unprovoked attacks each year globally.
Every summer there are scare stories about great whites appearing in British territorial waters (which are from the normal tidal limit to 12 miles offshore). Despite many reported sightings, especially by fishermen, none have been verified.
That said, shark expert Richard Pierce has investigated 100 such claims and found 12 to be credible. Pierce’s Shark Trust says the nearest confirmed great white was caught in the Bay of Biscay some 168 miles off Land’s End in 1977.
Yet UK waters could be good for great whites; the species is common in similar latitudes in the southern hemisphere. Plus, the UK is home to plentiful prey in the form of tens of thousands of harbour porpoises and seals. As sea temperatures rise, changing the distribution of prey species, many biologists believe it likely these predators will swim into British waters soon.
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Main image: a great white shark. Credit: Getty
