A beachgoer spotted an "unusually large shark fin" just off the cost. People visiting the shores are now being urged to "proceed with caution" following the citing.
The fin was spotted at around 11am on Sunday, February 19, in Cornwall. One local said it was spotted from around 30 metres away, reports CornwallLive.
They said it appeared too large for "the average basking shark". They 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 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. A blue shark was spotted near Treslissick beach last summer.
At the time, the sighting was described by Dan Jarvis, of the charity British Divers Marine Life Rescue as "worrying". He said that sharks don't typically come that close to beaches and feared that someone could become injured.
In August, 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.
Blue shark attacks on humans are described on the British Sea Fishing website as "extremely rare", with only four fatal and 25 non-fatal attacks having been confirmed.
